Baeksang Awards 2025: Celebrating best of Korean drama and film
Glamour, gratitude and groundbreaking performances mark Korea's most prestigious night in entertainment
Seoul, South Korea – The 61st Baeksang Arts Awards returned with splendour to COEX Hall D in Seoul, honouring excellence across Korean television and cinema. The star-studded evening was hosted by Shin Dong-yup, Bae Suzy, and Park Bo-gum, and featured appearances by top celebrities including Hyun Bin, Byun Woo Seok, Jung Hae In, Song Hye Kyo, and IU.
Joo Ji-hoon Secures Best Actor for Netflix Drama; Kim Tae-ri Named Best Actress for 'Jeong Nyeon'
Veteran actor Joo Ji-hoon clinched the Best Actor award for his compelling performance in The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call , a Netflix original. He faced strong competition from Park Bo-gum ( When Life Gives You Tangerines ), Byun Woo-seok ( Lovely Runner ), Lee Dong-hwi ( Good or Bad Dong Jae ), and Han Suk-kyu ( Delusion ).
In his acceptance speech, Joo said: 'Acting cannot be accomplished alone. Everyone here is my partner, and I will return with even more interesting works.' His tribute to the ensemble cast and crew received heartfelt applause.
Marking her second win at the Baeksangs, Kim Tae-ri was awarded Best Actress for her role in Jeong Nyeon , having previously won for Twenty-Five Twenty-One . She edged out formidable contenders, including IU for her acclaimed role in My Mister .
In her emotional speech, Kim shared: 'I feel ashamed to receive such a significant award, but I strive to improve. I try to see my shortcomings as a form of romance.'
'My Dearest' Takes Grand Prize, While 'Tangerines' Dominates Drama Categories
The historical romance My Dearest was awarded the prestigious Grand Prize (Daesang), while When Life Gives You Tangerines won both Best Drama and Best Screenplay, confirming its status as a critical and popular favourite.
Choi Dae-hoon took home Best Supporting Actor, and Yeom Hye-ran was named Best Supporting Actress for their respective roles in Tangerines . Yeom paid tribute to her co-stars IU and young actress Kim Tae-yeon, stating: 'I want to thank everyone who has supported me on this journey. I love you all.'
Red Carpet Elegance Complements Celebratory Atmosphere
The evening was not only a showcase of talent but also of fashion. Kim Tae-ri turned heads in a sophisticated two-piece outfit, while IU's elegant white dress exuded grace and poise. The red carpet shimmered with style and personality, adding to the celebratory ambience of the night.
A Night to Remember for Korean Entertainment
As the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards drew to a close, it served as a powerful reminder of the dedication, creativity and unity within the Korean entertainment industry. With actors like Joo Ji-hoon and Kim Tae-ri promising more to come, the global appeal of K-drama and Korean cinema continues to grow stronger.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Observer
24-05-2025
- Observer
Norway film starring Elle Fanning gets 19-minute Cannes ovation
Director Joachim Trier found himself crying behind the camera as he shot "Sentimental Value", his moving new tale about a quietly fractured family that got an extraordinary 19-minute standing ovation Thursday at the end of its premiere at the Cannes film festival. "It sounds cheesy," he said, "but I wept a lot making this film because I was so moved by the actors" playing members of an arty family in Oslo who cannot talk to each other despite all their supposed sophistication. "The actors are my friends. I know that they were being halfway a character and halfway themselves. And that they were also dealing with stuff," said the maker of "The Worst Person in the World", which landed the Norwegian two Oscar nominations and won newcomer Renate Reinsve the best actress award at Cannes in 2021. Many critics that year said it also should have won the Palme d'Or top prize. "We were a family too," said Trier, rehearsing his script around the kitchen table of the beautiful old wooden home in Oslo where the film was shot, itself a character in the film. The heads that keep butting in Trier's on-screen family are the absent father, an arthouse filmmaker who has long been put out to grass, played by Swedish legend Stellan Skarsgard, and his stage actress daughter (Reinsve). "I think a lot of families carry woundedness and grief," Trier said. "And talk often doesn't help. It gets argumentative. We get stuck in our positions, the roles we give each other unconsciously." - Elle Fanning a 'mensch' - The bad old dynamics are changed by the arrival of a Hollywood star -- Elle Fanning playing someone only millimetres from her real self -- a fan of the father, who comes bearing lots of Netflix dollars to revive one of his long-stalled scripts. "We don't get too many Hollywood stars wanting to be in small Norwegian-language films," Trier joked. But just like her character in the film, Fanning got the part through complete fandom, flying to Oslo between shooting the Bob Dylan biopic, "A Complete Unknown", and the new "Predator" in New Zealand. "I am a massive fan" of Trier, she told AFP in Cannes, where the film is in the running for the Palme d'Or. "I think 'The Worst Person in the World' is easily one of the best films in the last decade or even longer. It is just perfect." "When Joachim sent me the script I read it and I was just crying and crying by the final page. It is so emotional," Fanning added. "It's a very personal piece for Joachim and you can just feel that rawness in it." Trier -- who comes from a family steeped in the Scandinavian film industry -- admitted it is all very "meta. You're making a film about a family with your filmmaking family. And you've got a meta Hollywood star." But they are not that many parallels with his biological family. "It's not like I'm throwing anyone under the bus. My whole family has actually seen the film and are very supportive," he said. The filmmaker father, he insisted, is a mash-up of great auteurs such as Ingmar Bergman, Krzysztof Kieslowski and John Cassavetes. Trier, 51, is famous for the bond he builds with his actors and he praised Fanning as the latest member of the family. "She is a real mensch -- a really kind and collaborative, cool person," he said. - Trier 'magic' - The "magic" that Fanning said Trier creates on set comes from taking your time, he told AFP, taking on the big themes with a light, humorous touch. "Anyone who's had experience of therapy -- and I have -- will know that it's about the silences and letting things arrive. Very often is also the case with actors," said Trier. "We had quite a few moments like that in the film actually. Renate would look at me and I look at her and I say, 'What was that? That was interesting.' And we don't talk about it anymore. "But when people see it in editing, they go, 'Wow!' That was also the reaction of most critics at Cannes, with The Hollywood Reporter calling it "exquisite" and Vanity Fair saying it was "gorgeous and gripping"." Deadline's Ellise Shafer said "Sentimental Value" "sneaks up on you... and has one of more satisfying endings I have seen in some time, perfectly pitched and worth the wait for its human truth." —AFP
Muscat Daily
14-05-2025
- Muscat Daily
Bridgerton renewed for season 5 and 6
Benedict's love story set for 2026 debut; Francesca and Eloise likely to take centre stage in future seasons Netflix's Regency-era hit drama Bridgerton will continue its romantic reign, as the streaming giant has officially renewed the series for a fifth and sixth series. The announcement was made during the streamer's annual Upfront presentation, with the news delivered in quintessential Bridgerton fashion — via a special edition of Lady Whistledown's society papers. The future of the ton looks bright, with whispers suggesting that the upcoming instalments will focus on Francesca Bridgerton (portrayed by Hannah Dodd), whose understated yet poignant love journey began in Series 3, and Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie), the fiercely independent sister whose turn in the spotlight has been much anticipated. Meanwhile, it has also been confirmed that Season 4, which follows the bohemian second son Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), will premiere in 2026. Keeping to the show's current biennial release schedule, Netflix had notably omitted Bridgerton from its 2025 line-up, effectively signalling the later debut. Masquerade and mystery in first look of season 4 Netflix has unveiled a first glimpse at Series 4, offering fans a tantalising look at the moment Benedict meets his mysterious love interest — the so-called Lady in Silver — during a masquerade ball hosted by Lady Violet Bridgerton. The encounter hints at a romance that may challenge Benedict's free-spirited ideals and artistic temperament. A global sensation since 2020 Since its debut in December 2020, Bridgerton has become a cultural and commercial powerhouse. It remains one of Netflix's most-watched English-language series, with Series 1 and 3 still sitting comfortably in the platform's all-time top 10. The show has also spawned successful merchandise, live events, and a well-received prequel, Queen Charlotte . Executive producer and showrunner Jess Brownell continues to lead the creative team, alongside Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers, Tom Verica, and Chris Van Dusen. Lady Whistledown confirms the news As per tradition, Lady Whistledown herself confirmed the renewal: 'Dearest gentle reader, this author is pleased to report that Netflix's jewel of the season, Bridgerton, shall return for two further series. It appears our beloved family still has many tales to tell — and many hearts yet to be stolen.' With more love stories yet to unfold, the Bridgerton universe shows no signs of slowing down.
Observer
10-05-2025
- Observer
Lessons from ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines'
'Psychologists believe that healing from trauma centres around regulating the central nervous system through rhythm, repetition and bodily safety'. I have always found watching Korean dramas challenging, mainly because I could not remember the characters' names, but also because of the length of most series. However, when I started watching 'When Life Gives You Tangerine', I knew I would be hooked. The show centres around Ae-sun, who becomes an orphan at an early age and ends up living with her stepfather, helping him care for his two young children. Ae-sun is blessed by the love of her sweetheart 'Gwan-ski', a fisherman's son and her late mum's friends, who worked as divers 'Haenyeo' collecting molluscs and seaweed from the ocean and selling them in the village streets. We also see 'Ae-sun's' paternal grandmother, despite being harsh on her at the start of the series giving up all her savings so 'Ae-sun' can buy a fishing boat. These acts of kindness are not limited to family members as we see the elderly landlords donate a portion of their rice secretly to Ae-sun so she can feed her small family. The series gives a deeper insight into the psychology of loss, grief and resilience when staying still and weeping your pain is not an option. After losing their younger son in the storm 'Ae-sun' and 'Gwan-ski' keep on working day in and day out because life does not pause. They grieve differently hiding their guilt for not saving the young boy. The psychologist Vessel van Der Lolk states in his book ' The Body Keeps the Score' that trauma recovery is rooted in the body and the mind and that healing from trauma centres around regulating the central nervous system through rhythm, repetition and bodily safety. We see the grieving couple indulging themselves in the daily routine of working and socialising with others. The father is up every morning to catch fish from the ocean while his wife looks after the children, cooking for them and then going to work after sending them to school. The family could not afford to go off sick or pay for extensive therapy sessions. They simply had to keep working and carry on. The series shows how the geopolitical factors affect the daily lives of people in the village how social customs influence relationships and how paternal stubbornness and attitude towards those perceived to be from a lower social class deprive the younger generation from marrying their first love. We also see how social values change between generations with the new ones focusing on easy and quick ways of achieving wealth. The series shows us how parents go a long way to provide for their children, giving up their dreams so their children can complete their education and have a better life. How parents continue to love and care for their children and grandchildren until they die and how love makes harsh days more bearable. Unlike other TV dramas, 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' is about celebrating life with all its sweet and sorrowful moments holding on to hope and cherishing whatever life gives you. BLURB Unlike other TV dramas, 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' is about celebrating life with all its sweet and sorrowful moments holding on to hope and cherishing whatever life gives you.
