It has been a long time coming, but the wait was worth it for actress Jeanette Aw.

After being nominated seven times in the same category, the 36-year-old finally clinched the Best Actress award at last night's Star Awards for her role as Zhao Fei Er, a top television actress who falls into depression after several setbacks in her personal life and career in the show business drama The Dream Makers 2.

A visibly excited Aw said backstage: "I feel that this award came at the right time. I feel that my acting has reached a stage where people are moved by it. I don't want to stop here - I want to improve."

She had previously been nominated for Best Actress for the dramas The Dream Makers (2013), Breakout (2010), Together (2009), The Little Nyonya (2008), A Child's Hope 2 (2004) and Holland V (2003).

The Dream Makers 2, which was named Best Drama Serial, also swept three other major acting awards - Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress - at the event.

China-born actor Qi Yuwu, 39, who played a TV director torn between two women, won the Best Actor award, his third in the category after winning for C.I.D. (2006) and The Family Court (2010).

The Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress awards went to Zhang Zhenhuan, 32, and Julie Tan, 23, respectively.

The winners of the Top 10 Most Popular Male Artiste Award are Zhang Zhenhuan, Xu Bin, Zhang Yaodong, Zheng Geping, Aloysius Pang, Jeffrey Xu, Lee Teng, Dennis Chew, Shane Pow and Elvin Ng.

Ng's win is his 10th, which means that he will receive the All Time Favourite Award at the Star Awards ceremony next year.