[Photo provided to China Daily]

Six students studying performing arts were awarded the first Academy Awards for Chinese Film Performing Arts on Dec 16 in Beijing.

The awards have been instituted by five major colleges and universities that specialize in performing arts — the Beijing Film Academy, the Beijing-based People's Liberation Army Academy of Art and Communication University of China, the Shanghai Theater Academy and Nanjing University of the Arts in Jiangsu province.

The awards were decided by a jury comprising scholars, directors, critics and established actors, and the awards are a way to encourage college students to invest more in improving their skills.