The second annual Blue Dragon Series Awards truly lived up to its hype as a night of glitz and recognition of outstanding achievements in South Korea’s streaming industry. Organized by Sports Chosun, the prestigious event took place at Incheon’s Paradise City. The awards honored exceptional achievements in dramas and variety shows produced by streaming platforms to recognize the influence of original Korean series content.
The ceremony introduced new awards, including the highly-coveted Daesang (Grand Prize), and shed limelight on works and artists inspiring change through unique ideas and challenges. Let’s look at all the 2nd Blue Dragon Series Awards winners.
One of the Newest Award Ceremonies in Korea: What is it about?
It was only last year that Sports Chosun ventured into the world of streaming platforms by launching Korea’s first award ceremony exclusively for the online content landscape. The company is originally known for presenting the iconic annual Blue Dragon Film Awards.
As the Korean streaming industry grows with no bounds, the Blue Dragon Series Awards handpicks and recognizes talent and creativity emerging from streaming services. In that way, it distinguishes itself from conventional television network-centric award shows.
The 2nd Blue Dragon Series Awards featured nominations of titles released exclusively on OTT (over-the-top) platforms. As a prerequisite, the series should have premiered between May 1, 2022, and May 31, 2023.
Netflix’s drama The Glory received the highest number of nominations alongside the variety show SNL Korea Season 3. The ceremony’s star-studded lineup included esteemed hosts, Girls’ Generation’s YoonA and Jun Hyun-Moo, among other presenters.
Complete List of Winners
The whole 2nd Blue Dragon Series Awards give recognition in two categories: Drama and Variety. So, if you’re a solid fan of both categories, you may want to know you went home victorious among all the successful shows for this year’s Blue Dragon Series.
Drama Category
Song Hye-Kyo won the ultimate Daesang (Grand Prize) for her performance in The Glory. As an added category this year, Hye-Kyo became the first-ever recipient of the Blue Dragon Series Awards’ Daesang. In her speech, she thanked The Glory’s staff for helping her successfully play the Moon Dong-Eun role.
Moreover, she praised herself, saying, “I don’t think there will be an opportunity like this again. For the first time, I want to praise myself and say, ‘Good job, Hye Kyo.’” Her co-star Lim Ji-Yeon took home the award for Best Supporting Actress.
The coveted Best Drama title went to the thrilling Big Bet, while Ha Jung-Woo won the Best Actor award for his brilliant role in Narco-Saints. Suzy’s exceptional performance in Anna earned her the Best Actress award.
In the supporting categories, Lee Dong-Hwi won Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Big Bet, while Shin Ye-Eun won the Best Rookie Actress award for Revenge of Others. The Best Rookie Actor award went to Park Ji-Hoon for Weak Hero Class 1.
DKZ’s Jaechan won the OST Popularity Award for Our Season to recognize his musical brilliance. The Why Not Award celebrated Choi Hyun-Wook’s innovative approach in Weak Hero Class 1.
Variety Category
The Best Variety Program award went to Siren: Survive the Island. Yoo Jae-Suk earned the title of Best Male Entertainer for his contribution to PLAYou Level Up, while Joo Hyun-Young’s performances in SNL Korea earned her the Best Female Entertainer award.
Best Entertainment Program – Siren: Survive the island
Congrats! #BlueDragonSeriesAwards2023 #BlueDragonSeriesAwards pic.twitter.com/RJvZaWBEQh
— nilam (@ddu_kyungsoo) July 19, 2023
Dex won the Best Rookie Male Entertainer award for his role in Bloody Game 2. Kim Ah-Young’s comedic flair in SNL Korea secured her the Best Rookie Female Entertainer award.
The TIRTIR Popularity Award celebrated popular figures, where ASTRO’s Cha Eun-Woo, DKZ’s Jaechan, Lee Kwang-Soo, and Kim Yeon-Koung emerged as fan favorites. Huge applause and congratulations to all the winners!
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