The ceremonies typically take place in April, and have mostly been held at the Grand Theatre of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre since 1991.

[1] The awards recognise achievement in various aspects of filmmaking, such as directing, screenwriting, acting and cinematography.

In January each year, a first round of election, open to all registered voters and a selected group of 100 professional adjudicators, is held to determine the five nominees for each award category.

The Board of Directors consists of representatives from thirteen professional film bodies in Hong Kong, listed below.

[37] The list, selected by a panel of 101 filmmakers, critics and scholars, includes 24 films from Mainland China (11 from pre-1949 and 13 from post-1949), 61 from Hong Kong, 16 from Taiwan, and 2 co-productions.