42nd Baeksang Awards Nominations [+Winners]

The Baeksang Arts Awards have always been one of the most important Awards ceremonies in Korean Cinema (and TV), ever since their beginning in the mid 60s. Although not as 'fair' as the Busan Film Critics' Association Awards, or the Critics Association, they're a little less influenced by behind the scenes politics compared to the other big two (Grand Bell and Blue Dragon), as their choices in nominees and winners every year show. This year will probably be no different, as the show will present its winners on April 14 (live on SBS), for its 42nd Edition. The nominees have already been announced, and here's the list, along with a few comments and predictions.

UPDATE April 14
I'm going to try updating this in real time every 20 Minutes or so, as the winners are announced.

---FILM SECTION---

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대상 - 영화 (Daesang - Film)
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Lee Joon-Ik
왕의 남자 (The King and The Clown), director

COMMENT: The Daesang (lit. Big Prize) is the most important prize of the night, similar to that 'Star of the Year' award I gave in my year end lists (only difference being that this award is worth something, obviously). Predictable, but deserved choice. Lee woke up Chungmuro completely thanks to his triumph, which is ending its box office run on April 27, around the 12.3 Million tickets. Congratulations.

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작품상 (Best Film)
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- 사랑니 (Blossom Again), Dir. Jung Ji-Woo
- 왕의 남자 (The King and The Clown), Dir. Lee Joon-Ik
- 친절한 금자씨 (Sympathy For Lady Vengeance), Dir. Park Chan-Wook
- 혈의 누 (Blood Rain), dir. Kim Dae-Seung
- 형사 Duelist, dir. Lee Myung-Se

WHO SHOULD WIN: Of course I'm partial to Duelist, but a Sympathy For Lady Vengeance win would have me smiling anyway
WHO WILL PROBABLY WIN: 12+ Million tickets, incredibly positive word of mouth and tons of acclaim from the press for many reasons says The King and The Clown
WINNER: Blood Rain

COMMENT: Of course this will be one of the most controversial choices, but it's not the first time (and probably not the last either) that Baeksang chooses something surprising. Still, like I wrote in the comments, I liked a lot all these films. I just didn't expect this to win, but the film won a lot of respect in the industry for its great script and production values, good (but not great) directing and a good cast.

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감독상 (Best Director)
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- 김지운 (Kim Jee-woon), 달콤한 인생 (A Bittersweet Life)
- 박진표 (Park Jin-Pyo), 너는 내 운명 (You're My Sunshine)
- 박찬욱 (Park Chan-Wook), 친절한 금자씨 (Sympathy For Lady Vengeance)
- 이명세 (Lee Myung-Se), 형사 (Duelist)
- 이준익 (Lee Joon-Ik), 왕의 남자 (The King and The Clown)

WHO SHOULD WIN: Park Chan-Wook or Lee Myung-Se
WHO WILL PROBABLY WIN: Park Chan-Wook
WINNER: Lee Myung-Se

COMMENT: One of the few 'smile on my face' moments of the night. All top notch works, but frankly I think what Lee did with Duelist is more important than all the others' achievements, however great they are.

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신인감독상 (Best New Director)
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- 김대우 (Kim Dae-Woo), 음란서생 (Forbidden Quest)
- 김성수 (Kim Sung-Soo), 야수 (Running Wild)
- 박광현 (Park Gwang-Hyun), 웰컴투 동막골 (Welcome To Dongmakgol)
- 방은진 (Bang Eun-Jin), 오로라 공주 (Princess Aurora)
- 윤종빈 (Yoon Jong-Bin), 용서받지 못한 자 (The Unforgiven)

WHO SHOULD WIN: Park Gwang-Hyun
WHO WILL PROBABLY WIN: Park Gwang-Hyun
WINNER: Kim Dae-Woo

COMMENT: Slightly controversial, but still a good pick. The film was well received by critics and did well at the box office.

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최우수연기상 - 남 (Best Leading Actor)
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- 박해일 (Park Hae-Il), 연애의 목적 (Rules of Dating)
- 이병헌 (Lee Byung-Heon), 달콤한 인생 (A Bittersweet Life)
- 정진영 (Jung Jin-Young), 왕의 남자 (The King and The Clown)
- 차승원 (Cha Seung-Won), 혈의 누 (Blood Rain)
- 황정민 (Hwang Jung-Min), 너는 내운명 (You're My Sunshine)

WHO SHOULD WIN: Hwang Jung-Min
WHO WILL PROBABLY WIN: Jung Jin-Young
WINNER: Lee Byung-Heon

COMMENT: This was more a case of personal taste, so anyone could have won. Happy Lee took the prize though, he deserves all the acclaim.

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최우수연기상 - 여 (Best Leading Actress)
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- 강혜정 (Kang Hye-Jung), 연애의 목적 (Rules of Dating)
- 엄정화 (Eom Jung-Hwa), 오로라 공주 (Princess Aurora)
- 이영애 (Lee Young-Ae), 친절한 금자씨 (Sympathy For Lady Vengeance)
- 장진영 (Jang Jin-Young), 청연 (Blue Swallow)
- 전도연 (Jeon Do-Yeon), 너는 내운명 (You're My Sunshine)

WHO SHOULD WIN: Jang Jin-Young
WHO WILL PROBABLY WIN: Lee Young-Ae or Jeon Do-Yeon
WINNER: Lee Young-Ae

COMMENT: Again, mostly personal taste. Personally I think a lot of Lee Young-Ae's transformation goes back to the way Park Chan-Wook wrapped the film around her past image and tried to destroy it, but it's a great performance nonetheless. Still, Jang Jin-Young (and even Jeon Do-Yeon) deserved this a little more.

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신인연기상 - 남 (Best New Actor)
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- 문정혁 (Moon Jung-Hyuk), 6월의 일기 (Bystanders)
- 이준기 (Lee Joon-Gi), 왕의 남자 (The King and The Clown)
- 이태성 (Lee Tae-Sung), 사랑니 (Blossom Again)
- 천정명 (Cheon Jung-Myung), 태풍태양 (The Aggressives)
- 하정우 (Ha Jung-Woo), 용서받지 못한자 (The Unforgiven)

WHO SHOULD WIN: Ha Jung-Woo
WHO WILL PROBABLY WIN: Lee Joon-Gi
WINNER: Lee Joon-Gi

COMMENT: No surprises. Ha Jung-Woo starred in 'too little' a film to be noticed by everyone, so the next in line was Lee.

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신인연기상 - 여 (Best New Actress)
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- 김아중 (Kim Ah-Joong), 광식이 동생 광태 (When Romance Meets Destiny)
- 김옥빈 (Kim Ok-Bin), 여고괴담4 (Voice)
- 김유미 (Kim Yoo-Mi), 종려나무숲 (The Windmill Palm Grove) [Did they miss the last 6 years she worked in the industry?]
- 송혜교 (Song Hye-Gyo), 파랑주의보 (My Girl & I)
- 정유미 (Jung Yoo-Mi), 사랑니 (Blossom Again)

WHO SHOULD WIN: Jung Yoo-Mi
WHO WILL PROBABLY WIN: Kim Ah-Joong
WINNER: Jung Yoo-Mi

COMMENT: Totally deserved. This girl will make it huge. Huge.

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시나리오 - 각본 (Best Screenplay)
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- 고윤희 (Go Yoon-Hee), 연애의 목적 (Rules of Dating)
- 김대우 (Kim Dae-Woo), 음란서생 (Forbidden Quest)
- 이원재 (Lee Won-Jae), 혈의 누 (Blood Rain)
- 정지우 (Jung Ji-Woo), 사랑니 (Blossom Again)
- 최석환 (Choi Seok-Hwan), 왕의 남자 (The King and The Clown)

WHO SHOULD WIN: Lee Won-Jae
WHO WILL PROBABLY WIN: Choi Seok-Hwan
WINNER: Go Yoon-Hee

COMMENT: All good scripts, so anything was fine. I prefer Lee Won-Jae's, but that's just because I'm a history nut.

---TV SECTION---

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대상 - 방송 (Daesang - TV)
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내 이름은 김삼순 (My Lovely Sam-Soon)

COMMENT: 50.5% Ratings and the re-drawing of Cinderella tropes...

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작품상 (Best TV Drama)
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- 내이름은 김삼순 (My Lovely Sam-Soon) - MBC (PD: Kim Yoon-Cheol/Writer: Kim Do-Woo)
- 장밋빛 인생 (Life in Pink) - KBS2 (PD: Kim Jong-Chang/Writer: Moon Young-Nam)
- 토지 (Land) - SBS (PD: Lee Jong-Han/Writer: Lee Hong-Gu) [EXCUSE ME?]
- 패션 70'S (Fashion Seventies) - SBS (PD: Lee Jae-Gyu/Writer: Jung Sung-Hee)
- 황금사과 (Golden Apple) - KBS2 (PD: Shin Chang-Seok/Writer: Kim Woon-Kyung)

WHO SHOULD WIN: Life in Pink or Fashion Seventies
WHO WILL PROBABLY WIN: My Lovely Sam-Soon
WINNER: Land

COMMENT: You know, I had this uncle in the countryside who made a killer goat cheese. What do you say, I'm on crack? Perhaps a bit less than those who chose this award. They gave it not only to the worst of the five, but one which didn't deserve to be there in the first place. Oh well. It's SBS after all.

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연출상 (Best Producer)
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- 김윤철 (Kim Yoon-Cheol), 내이름은 김삼순 (My Lovely Sam-Soon) - MBC
- 김종창 (Kim Jong-Chang), 장밋빛 인생 (Life in Pink) - KBS2
- 이종한 (Lee Jong-Han), 토지 (Land) - SBS [No, we're impartial. Really. Even if we're airing on SBS!]

WHO SHOULD WIN: Kim Jong-Chang
WHO WILL PROBABLY WIN: Kim Yoon-Cheol
WINNER: Kim Jong-Chang

COMMENT: Deserved win, although many deserving PDs (Park Chan-Hong, Lee Jae-Gyu, Lee Byung-Hoon and more) were left out.

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신인연출상 (Best New Producer)
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- 김규태 (Kim Gyu-Tae), 이 죽일놈의 사랑 (A Love To Kill) - KBS2 TV DRAMA
- 유인식 (Yoo In-Shik), 불량주부 (Woman of the House) - SBS TV DRAMA
- 임태우 (Im Tae-Woo), 제5공화국 (The Fifth Republic) - MBC TV DRAMA

WHO SHOULD WIN: Im Tae-Woo.
WHO WILL PROBABLY WIN: Yoo In-Shik
WINNER: Kim Gyu-Tae

COMMENT: I guess the visuals of the Drama were enough to convince them. Too bad for the script. This guy directs great Dramacity specials, but his Miniseries debut was pretty bad.

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최우수연기상 - 남 (Best Leading Actor)
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- 김주혁 (Kim Ju-Hyeok), 프라하의 연인 (Lovers in Prague) - SBS
- 손현주 (Son Hyun-Joo), 장밋빛 인생 (Life in Pink) - KBS2
- 엄태웅 (Eom Tae-Woong), 부활 (Rebirth) - KBS2

WHO SHOULD WIN: Eom Tae-Woong
WHO WILL PROBABLY WIN: Eom Tae-Woong, or insanity
WINNER: Insanity

COMMENT: Now you probably know by now how much I respect Kim Ju-Hyeok as an actor... BUT. Eom Tae-Woong gave the best performance (Film or Drama) of 2005. Period. So insanity won after all.

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최우수연기상 - 여 (Best Leading Actress)
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- 김선아 (Kim Seon-Ah), 내이름은 김삼순 (My Lovely Sam-Soon) - MBC
- 김현주 (Kim Hyun-Joo), 토지 (Land) - SBS [HAHAHAHAHA]
- 최진실 (Choi Jin-Shil), 장밋빛 인생 (Life in Pink) - KBS2

WHO SHOULD WIN: Choi Jin-Shil
WHO WILL PROBABLY WIN: Kim Seon-Ah or Choi Jin-Shil
WINNER: Choi Jin-Shil

COMMENT: Deserved win, and it's nice to see Choi getting accolades after years of indifference.

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신인연기상 - 남 (Best New Actor)
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- 강지환 (Kang Ji-Hwan), 굳세어라 금순아 (Be Strong, Geum-Soon) - MBC
- 주지훈 (Joo Ji-Hoon), 궁 (Princess Hours) - MBC
- 천정명 (Cheon Jung-Myung), 패션 70'S (Fashion Seventies) - SBS

WHO SHOULD WIN: Cheon Jung-Myung
WHO WILL PROBABLY WIN: Cheon Jung-Myung
WINNER: Cheon Jung-Myung

COMMENT: Again, no surprise.

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신인연기상 - 여 (Best New Actress)
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- 남상미 (Nam Sang-Mi), 달콤한 스파이 (Sweet Spy) - MBC
- 윤은혜 (Yoon Eun-Hye), 궁 (Princess Hours) - MBC
- 이영아 (Lee Young-Ah), 황금사과 (Golden Apple) - KBS2

WHO SHOULD WIN: Nam Sang-Mi
WHO WILL PROBABLY WIN: Nam Sang-Mi
WINNER: Lee Young-Ah

COMMENT: I tend to think Lee Young-Ah is just a tad overrated, but that's just me. At least Yoon Eun-Hye didn't win...

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각본상 (Best Screenplay)
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- 김도우 (Kim Do-Woo), 내이름은 김삼순 (My Lovely Sam-Soon) - MBC
- 문영남 (Moon Young-Nam), 장밋빛 인생 (Life in Pink) - KBS2
- 이정선 (Lee Jung-Seon), 굳세어라 금순아 (Be Strong, Geum-Soon) - MBC

WHO SHOULD WIN: Kim Do-Woo
WHO WILL PROBABLY WIN: Kim Do-Woo
WINNER: Kim Do-Woo

COMMENT: No surprise.

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인기상 (Most Popular)
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현빈 조현재 현영 김아중 (Hyun Bin, Jo Hyun-Jae, Hyun Young, Kim Ah-Joong)

as for my predictions... 6 out of 16 (if you count the 'insanity' bit). Maybe I should just stop predicting things....

[Source: Baeksang Awards]