Kim Go Eun received the Grand Prize as the 5th Blue Dragon Series Awards recognized leading streaming dramas, variety programs, performers, and rising talent.
Kim Go Eun received the Grand Prize at the 5th Blue Dragon Series Awards, leading a night that recognized Korean streaming productions across drama, variety, acting, and entertainment. The ceremony, held on July 31 and hosted by Lim Yoona and Jun Hyun Moo, reflected the growing breadth of Korea’s platform-led television landscape.
The top honor went to Kim for her performance in You and Everything Else. The Grand Prize, often regarded as the ceremony’s broadest individual distinction, placed her at the center of an awards list that also celebrated established performers, newer faces, and programs that have found audiences through streaming services.
The awards are dedicated to productions made for streaming platforms, a sector that has become a central route for Korean series and entertainment programs to reach domestic and international audiences. The evening’s categories therefore placed scripted storytelling and unscripted programming on the same stage, recognizing the different kinds of work that shape the current viewing calendar.
Drama and acting honors
The Legend of Kitchen Soldier was named Best Drama, while Park Hae Soo won Best Actor for The Scarecrow. Shin Hae Sun received Best Actress for The Art of Sarah, and the latter title also brought a supporting-actress honor to Park Bo Kyung. Together, the results highlighted a mix of high-profile series and performances spread across different genres.
Yoon Kyung Ho took Best Supporting Actor for his work in The Legend of Kitchen Soldier. The acting awards also gave attention to emerging talent: Jeon So Young was named Best New Actress for If Wishes Could Kill, and Kim Jae Won was recognized as Best New Actor for Yumi’s Cells 3.
The selections underscore how streaming projects now provide a major stage for Korean actors working in both original series and returning franchises. Rather than concentrating only on one platform or style of production, the winners represented thrillers, character-driven dramas, romance-inflected stories, and broader popular entertainment.
Recognition across leading, supporting, and newcomer categories also captures the layered nature of a series’ success. Established names can anchor a release, but breakout supporting performances and first major roles often help give a title its distinctive voice. That mix was visible throughout the drama results announced at the ceremony.
Variety programs share the spotlight
In the non-scripted field, Better Late Than Single won Best Variety Show. Kim Sook received the Top Excellence Award for Female Entertainer for Screwballs 4, while Kim Won Hun earned the male counterpart for SNL Korea 8. Jung Yi Rang and Joo Woo Jae received Excellence Awards for Dabang Sisters and Screwballs 4, respectively.
The newcomer awards in entertainment went to Yoon for The White Collars 2 and Kim Kyu Won for SNL Korea 8. These results point to the continued importance of ensemble casts and recurring variety formats in the streaming era, where comedic performers and hosts can build visibility alongside scripted-series stars.
Variety awards can also signal the durability of programs that evolve through multiple seasons. Familiar formats remain a draw, while new cast members and changing concepts give them room to reach viewers who follow entertainment through clips, full episodes, and social media conversation.
Popularity and global recognition
Several special awards rounded out the ceremony. Go Youn Jung received the Global Icon With LAVIEN Cosmetics Award for Can This Love Be Translated?, while the Popular Star Award went to Go Youn Jung, Byeon Woo Seok, Yu Jae Seok, and Lee Soo Ji. An Yu Jin received the OST Popularity Award for her contribution to The Legend of Kitchen Soldier.
The spread of honorees offered a snapshot of an industry in which music, variety, drama, and star power regularly overlap. With its focus on streaming releases, the Blue Dragon Series Awards continues to mark how Korean entertainment is adapting to changing viewing habits while keeping a wide range of creative work in the spotlight.
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