Baeksang Arts Awards will add a musical institutional sector next year to mark the 60th anniversary of Korean musicals and take another step forward.
HLL Jungang, which organizes and hosts the Baeksang Arts Awards, said, "From the 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards we will present awards in the musical institutional sector. By adding the musical institutional sector to the existing three sectors of broadcasting·film·theater, we will seek even broader change as the country's only comprehensive popular culture arts awards," it said on the 6th.
HLL Jungang recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Korea Musical Association to establish the Baeksang Arts Awards musical institutional sector. They plan to work closely together going forward to develop and expand the scope of Korea's musical industry.
The fact that the musical institutional sector will be established in 2026, which marks the 60th anniversary of Korean musicals, makes it even more meaningful. Starting with Saljjagi Obseoye, performed in 1966, and up to A Midsummer Night's.../Perhaps Happy Ending, which swept the Tony Awards in the United States in 2025, the Baeksang Arts Awards will spotlight the value of K-musicals, which have achieved remarkable growth.
The Baeksang Arts Awards musical institutional sector will consist of three institutional sectors: best production, creativity, and acting. The best production award is given to works that achieved outstanding results or made significant contributions during the year. The creativity award evaluates outstanding creative achievements of musical creators over the year, targeting writers·composers·arrangers·set designers·sound designers·lighting designers and others. The acting award will be a combined male-female sector and will be presented to actors who showed outstanding stage performances.
HLL Jungang CEO Kang Ju-yeon said, "K-musical fandom is expanding not only domestically but also overseas. Reflecting the trends of Korean content and the needs of the public, we judged that now is the time to establish a musical institutional sector," and added, "The Baeksang Arts Awards will move forward in step with the growth of K-musicals together with the Korea Musical Association."
Korea Musical Association Director Lee Jong-gyu said, "It is highly meaningful for the Baeksang Arts Awards to establish a musical institutional sector in the year Korea musical reaches its 60th anniversary. As the heyday of K-musicals unfolds, we will get closer to the public together with Baeksang."
Starting with this MOU signing, the two parties will begin preparations for judging and the awards ceremony for the musical institutional sector at the 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards.<
[Photo] Baeksang Arts Awards secretariat, HLL Jungang
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