The first Star Awards presentation was held on 26 February 1994, took place at the Caldecott Broadcast Centre, Mediacorp TV Theatre with an audience of about 500 people.

In 1994, the first Star Awards were presented at the Caldecott Broadcast Centre, Mediacorp TV Theatre and the following year until 2015; however, seven ceremonies were held outside the studios: in 1996, the venue of Star Awards changed to World Trade Centre, Harbour Pavilion and was hosted by Guo Liang and Yvette Tsui.

In 2016, the awards had since held at the new Mediacorp Campus, MES Theatre @ Mediacorp, and it became the presentation's current venue with incredibly spacious interior and stunning architectural designs, the 1,500-seater performance venue features tiered seating in its stalls and two circle levels, including removable seats at the lower stall and additional audience sitting space at the orchestra pit for people with special needs.

This change was primarily influenced by the overwhelming success of "The Little Nyonya" (2008), ensuring that productions from the preceding year were appropriately recognized within the awards cycle.

In 2010, the format of the awards underwent further restructuring with the introduction of two separate ceremonies to better acknowledge various aspects of the television industry.

"Star Awards Show 1" was established to honor technical achievements, production teams, and backstage contributions, while "Star Awards Show 2" remained the primary televised event, focusing on major performance categories, live entertainment, and the presentation of the most prestigious accolades.

In 2025, Mediacorp revised the ceremony’s schedule to accommodate the release of the second part of "The Little Nyonya, Emerald Hill", reinforcing the significant influence of major productions on Singapore’s premier television awards.

This adjustment continues to ensure that the awards remain relevant and reflective of industry milestones while maintaining the integrity of the eligibility period.

Initially held in December, the ceremony was rescheduled to April in 2009 to align with the full calendar-year eligibility period and to accommodate the overwhelming success of "The Little Nyonya" (2008).

Following the 2005 merger between Mediacorp and SPH MediaWorks, the awards expanded to include nominees from Channel U. Online live streaming was introduced via xinmsn (2010–2014) and Toggle (2013–2019), though initially restricted to Singapore-based audiences.

^3 In accordance to the social distancing measures, the ceremony is conducted closed-doors, and international celebrities communicate via teleconference due to travel restrictions.