On May 5, 2025, the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards, one of South Korea’s most prestigious entertainment ceremonies, took place at COEX D Hall in Seoul, honoring outstanding achievements in film, television, and theater. Hosted by Shin Dong-yup, Suzy, and Park Bo-gum, the star-studded event showcased a dazzling array of talent.
At the 2025 Baeksang Arts Awards, When Life Gives You Tangerines clinched the coveted Best Drama title, while Harbin soared to victory as Best Film. The Lovely Runner duo, Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon, predictably charmed their way to the Popularity Awards, stealing hearts as expected.
Yet, the night wasn’t without its surprises and oversights. IU (Lee Ji-eun), the radiant star of When Life Gives You Tangerines, was unexpectedly outshone by Kim Tae-ri, who claimed the Best Actress – Drama award for her mesmerizing performance in Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born. Meanwhile, Jo Jung-suk triumphed over Hyun-bin’s gripping Harbin role, securing the Best Actor – Film award for his stellar turn in Pilot.
Below is the complete list of winners across all categories, reflecting the brilliance of Korea’s entertainment industry from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025.
Winners of the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards
Broadcasting Category
Grand Prize (Daesang): Culinary Class Wars
Best Drama: When Life Gives You Tangerines
Best Variety Show: Punghyanggo
Best Educational Show: Special-Hakjeon
Best Director: Song Hyeon-wa (Doubt)
Best Screenplay: Lim Sang-choon (When Life Gives You Tangerines)
Best Technical Direction: Jang Yeong-gyu, Scoring (Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born)
Best Actor: Joo Ji-hoon (The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call)
Best Actress: Kim Tae-ri (Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born)
Best Supporting Actor: Choi Dae-hoon (When Life Gives You Tangerines)
Best Supporting Actress: Yeom Hye-ran (When Life Gives You Tangerines)
Best New Actor: Choo Young-woo (The Tale of Lady Ok)
Best New Actress: Chae Won-bin (Doubt)
Popularity Award (Male): Byeon Woo-seok (Lovely Runner)
Popularity Award (Female): Kim Hye-yoon (Lovely Runner)
Film Category
Grand Prize (Daesang): Hong Kyung-pyo for cinematography (Harbin)
Best Film: Harbin
Best Director: Oh Seung-wook (Revolver)
Best Screenplay: Shin Chul, Park Chan-wook (Uprising)
Best Actor: Jo Jung-suk (Pilot)
Best Actress: Jeon Do-yeon (Revolver)
Best Supporting Actor: Park Jung-min (Jeon, Ran)
Best Supporting Actress: Kim Geum-soon (Jeong-soon)
Best New Actor: Jung Sung Il for Uprising
Best New Actress: Roh Yoon-seo (Hear Me: Our Summer)
Best Technical Direction: Jo Young-wook – Uprising (music)
Theater Category
Baeksang Theater Award: Tungso-sori – Seoul Metropolitan Theatre
Young Theater Award: Gongnori Club (theatre) – Dried Pepper and Peach Scent Lipstick
Acting Award: Kwak Ji Sook – Jews of Malta
Special Awards
Gucci Impact Award: The Land of Morning Calm
PRIZM Popularity Award: Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon (Lovely Runner)
The ceremony highlighted the evolving landscape of Korean entertainment, with the television category renamed to “Broadcasting” to encompass OTT platforms and web content. In total, When Life Gives You Tangerines bagged four accolades, with the Best Drama Award proudly received by the show’s dedicated production team.The historic win of Hong Kyung-pyo as the first cinematographer to receive the Film Daesang underscored the awards’ recognition of behind-the-scenes contributions.
Fans celebrated on social media, particularly praising the Lovely Runner duo’s popularity awards, which saw record-breaking votes. The 61st Baeksang Arts Awards reaffirmed its status as a cornerstone of Korean entertainment, honoring both established stars and emerging talents.
