The award caught public attention more than a month ago when it gave a controversial nomination to Chinese film director Chen Kaige.

The making of Chen's The Promise was accused of damaging the pristine environment of a lake shore in Shangri-la, southwest Yunnan Province, according to the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA). The film crew is reported to have painted the leaves of more than 60 trees yellow in making the movie.

Together with Chen, director Zhang Jizhong, accused of damaging the Jiuzhaigou National Park during filming, also got a controversial nomination.

Neither of the two silver screen nominees made to the short list - but organizers argued for their nominations saying "sometimes a negative example can serve as a warning".

The final eight winners, the Green Chinese, were awarded for their significant contribution to protecting the environment.

The winners include" Du Shaozhong, vice-director of the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau, who initiated the campaign of "drive one less day a month" and refuses to drive a car but walks 70 minutes to his office every day; Ma Jun, director of the Beijing public environment study center, who developed China's first water pollution database and released a map of China's water pollution; Ke Lan, the Phoenix TV anchor woman who exposed environmental abuse associated with a film that she starred in and Liao Xiaoyi, who made a documentary on traditional eco-culture.

Co-sponsored by seven government departments and supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the "Green Chinese" awards were selected by social survey, Internet voting, review of a judge panel and public voting.