48th Baeksang Arts Awards Nominations

Different than in the US where awards are usually scrunched up together within a few months, South Korea has awards all over the place. Well, most of them are in the same few months (November, December). But there's one award show that wants to be a little different. And this award show is the Baeksang Arts Awards which will be held on April 26, 2012. So mark your calenders everybody!

I know, I know, the nominations were announced months ago. But I thought it'll be nice to freshen up on who exactly are nominated and maybe I'll even make my own predictions! I haven't watched a bunch of the movies myself, but I've read a few reviews here and there and I'll cast my vote.

Note: I just realized there's no overall Daesang (highest achievement)! For some reasons I feel happy for that, because you can't make movies, directors, and actors go head to head with each other. It's just not fair.

Best Picture: 범죄와의전쟁 (Nameless Gangster), 부러진화살 (Unbowed), 써니 (Sunny), 완득이 (Punch), 화차 (Helpless)
My prediction: Unbowed, based solely on the badass plot of a dude who who brought a bow and arrow to the courtroom. Either that or Nameless Gangster about gangsters in the streets of 1990. People have been raving on these two. Not that the others weren't good, but they were less shiny compared to the two I mentioned. Final answer: Nameless Gangster. I love the vibe.

Best Director: Byeon Young-ju from Helpless, Yoon Jong-bin from Nameless Gangster, Lee Han from Punch, Jeon Gye-su from Love Fiction, Jung Ji-young from Unbowed
My prediction: Whoa this is tough because hello, I haven't watched 80% of them. I want to say Jeon Gye-su for the hilarious plot, but then that might go to the Best Screenplay. My final pick would be Yoon Jong-bin of Nameless Gangster, comparing the trailers. Yeah, that one looks super cool.

Best Leading Actor: Gong Yoo from Silenced, Kim Yun-seok from Punch, Park Hae-il from Arrow the Ultimate Weapon, Ahn Seong-gi from Unbowed, Choi Min-shik from Nameless Gangster
My prediction: Park Hae-il swept the end-of-the-year awards so the chance of him winning is quite big. But there's Choi Min-shik and Ahn Seong-gi who are the godfathers of Korean actors, and Kim Yun-seok and Gong Yoo who are terrific also. I'll play safe and go with Park Hae-il.

Best Leading Actress: Kim Min-hee from Helpless, Son Ye-jin from Chilling Romance, Shim Eun-kyung from Sunny, Uhm Jung-hwa from Dancing Queen, Jung Ryeo-won from Pained
My prediction: Shim Eun-kyung, who was really great in Sunny. I'm sure the other four are great also, but come on. It's Sunny!

Best New Actor: Kim Seong-kyun from Nameless Gangster, Lee Gwang-su from Wonderful Radio, Lee Je-hoon from Introduction to Architecture, Joo Won from SIU.
My prediction: Based on the movie itself, automatically Kim Seong-kyun who is also the oldest nominee amongst the four. It seems to me also that Lee Je-hoon will get nominated for Best New Actor as long as he shall live. Just kidding, get the Best Leading Actor next time. And don't do dramas again. Ever.

Best New Actress: Kang So-ra from Sunny, Go Ah-ra from Papa, Kim Hye-eun from Nameless Gangster, Suzy from Introduction to Architecture, Oh Na-ra from Dancing Queen
My prediction: I've said this before and I'll say it again, I love Kang So-ra in Sunny. She was like the most awesome girl you'd ever want to hang out with. I'll pick her just out of pure love.

Best New Director: Kim Jung-hwan from Petty Romance, Park In-je from Moby Dick, Im Chan-ik from Officer of the Year, Han Sang-ho from Tarbosaurus 3D, Heo Jung-ho from Countdown
My prediction: I want to say Han Sang-ho because his supposedly first directorial debut (or at least the first movie he got nominated for) is a dinosaur 3D movie. How cool may that be? Either him of Heo Jung-ho. Even though the movie flopped, it sounded promising with the whole Jeon Do-hyeon being a con artist all the way. But Han Sang-ho and his cool dino 3D gets my vote.

Best Screenplay: Park Sang-yeon from The Front Line, Park In-je and Park Sin-gyu from Moby Dick, Yoon Jong-bin from Nameless Gangster, Jeon Gye-su from Love Fiction, Han Hyeon-geun and Jeong Ji-young from Unbowed
My prediction: Argh, so hard, so hard! I've said this previously so I'll just go with it. Jeon Gye-su from Love Fiction. The movie sounded so unique and awesome and fun. I mean the story for Unbowed was pretty cool too, but the freakin' movie is called Love Fiction. How can you not say yes to that?

The other two film nominations are for popularity, basically, and there are 36 noms for the boys and 30 for the girls. I am not going to write them out, way too many. This award is chosen by the people a.k.a netizens, and basically a popularity poll. It's also a sort of appreciation to the people who didn't get actual nominations and to make them come to the awards. You know the drill.

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Unlike other awards ceremonies, this particular one has categories for both films and TV shows. And because the only dramas I care about in the year of 2011 is Trees with Deep Roots (who I hope will win every single category, just kidding, but I still hope). And Best Love. But less than Trees with Deep Roots. I was like in a drama coma last year (and probably this year too. Yikes). So, instead of predictions, even though I was totally guessing in the film section anyways, I'll just provide you the list of nominees.

Best Drama: KBS 공주의남자 (Princess's Man), KBS 브레인 (Brain), SBS 뿌리깊은 나무 (Trees with Deep Roots), MBC 최고의 사랑 (Best Love), MBC 해를 품은 달 (Moon that Embraces the Sun)

Best Culture Program*: KBS사이언스대기획 인간탐구 3부작 기억, 성탄특집SBS 스페셜 기적의하모니, MBC 남극의 눈물, KBS1 다르마, EBS 다큐프라임5부작 문명과 수학

Best Entertainment Program: KBS Gag Concert, MBC I Am Singer, SBS 짝**, SBS K-pop Star, KBS 1 Night 2 Days

Best Production***: Kim Do-hoon and Lee Seong-jun from MBC Moon that Embraces the Sun, Kim Jung-min and Park Hyeon-seok from KBS Princess's Man, Noh Do-cheol from MBC Twinkle Twinkle, Yoo Hyeon-ki and Seon Hyeong-wook from KBS Brain, Jang Tae-yu and Shin Gyeong-su from SBS Trees with Deep Roots

Best Leading Actor: Kim Soo-hyun from MBC Moon that Embraces the Sun, Park Shi-hoo from KBS Princess's Man, Shin Ha-gyun from KBS Brain, Cha Seung-won from MBC Best Love, Han Suk-gyu from SBS Trees with Deep Roots

Best Leading Actress: Gong Hyo-jin from MBC Best Love, Kim Sun-ah from SBS Scent of a Woman, Kim Hyeon-ju from MBC Twinkle Twinkle, Moon Chae-won from KBS Princess's Man, Soo Ae from SBS A Thousand Days' Promise

Best New Actor: Kang Dong-ho from MBC Twinkle Twinkle, Park Yoo-hwan from SBS A Thousand Days' Promise, Park Yoon-jae from MBC Indomitable Daughters-In-Law, Yeo Jin-gu from MBC Moon that Embraces the Sun, Joo Won from KBS Ojakkyo Brothers

Best New Actress: Kang So-ra from KBS Dream High 2, Kim Yoo-jung from MBC Moon that Embraces the Sun, Im Soo-hyang from SBS New Gisaeng Story, UEE from KBS Ojakkyo Brothers, Jung Yu-mi from SBS A Thousand Days' Promise

Best Screenplay: Kim Young-hyun and Park Sang-yeon from SBS Trees with Deep Roots, Yoon Gyeong-ah from KBS Brain, Jo Jeong-ju and Kim Wook from KBS Princess's Man, Choi Wan-kyu from MBC Lights and Shadows, Hong Jeong-eun and Hong Mi-ran from MBC Best Love

Best Male Entertainer: Kim Gu-ra from MBC Golden Fishery-Radio Star, Kim Byung-man from SBS Law of the Jungle, Kim Jun-hyeon from KBS Gag Concert, Lee Jung-seok from MBC High Kick 3: The Short Legs Counterattack, Choi Hyo-jong from KBS Gag Concert

Best Female Entertainer: Park Ha-seon from MBC High Kick 3: The Short Legs Counterattack, Song Ji-hyo from SBS Running Man, Shin Bo-ra from KBS Gag Concert, Jung Gyeong-mi from KBS Gag Concert, Jung Ju-ri from SBS Strong Heart

There's also popularity awards for the actors and actresses, just like their film counterpart. There are 34 noms for the boys and 31 for the ladies, roughly the same number of people in the film categories.

*I don't quite know what 교양 mean. Anyone know? I also don't know the translations for the shows, so I'll just write the Korean titles of them.
**I don't know what it means, or what the show is about. Anyone know?
***It says 연출상, which I've translated to Best Production. Is this correct? Or should it be Best Producers?

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There you go! Those are all the nominations for the 48th Baeksang this Thursday. I'll be sure to report back to who wins in the actual ceremony. We'll see how I fared in this totally random prediction session. And man, do I need to watch those movies pronto. Do you have your own predictions for the winners? What about the TV program categories (which I skipped because I'm lazy)? If there was one drama, or movie, nominated above that I absolutely need to watch right now, what would it be? Or is there a movie or drama from the nominations list that you'd totally want to check out?

Source: Official 48th Baeksang Arts Awards Homepage