Stop the 'Dapjeongneo' Awards... 'CJ Visionary' Leads the Trend

Drama and Entertainment Awards Become Their Own League
CJ ENM Leads Change and Innovation in K-Content
10 Selected Winners Including Global Influence

Terrestrial broadcasters hold award ceremonies such as the Drama Awards and Entertainment Awards every year-end. However, interest is not what it used to be. The influence of individual programs has significantly diminished due to the increase in subscription-based streaming service consumption. Both viewership ratings and buzz have dropped sharply. Even combining award ceremonies would not be enough, yet joint awards are excessively given out, turning the events into celebrations exclusive to themselves. There is no chance that new visions will be presented. They fail to follow the market trend where new values break stereotypes and active boundary-crossing occurs.

Recently, the source of global popularity enjoyed by K-content is change and innovation. In an industrial landscape where milestones have become unclear, each entity builds its own originality and reveals infinite possibilities. CJ ENM secured the lost credibility of terrestrial broadcasters by aligning with the figures who led this. The 'Visionary' held on the 8th at CJ ENM Center in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, is an example. It is an award ceremony that highlights individuals who have brought new inspiration to the industry through relentless challenges and also forecasts the future of the entertainment industry. Yang Hyeyeong, Marketing Planning Manager of CJ ENM Brand Strategy Office, explained, "This event is not simply focused on the achievements of the past year. We strictly selected those who elevated the status of K-content and presented visions with unique influence and original worldviews."

The source of potential CJ ENM envisions is not works or genres but the creativity and leadership of the people involved. They provide various opportunities for creators to showcase diverse culturalities in the global market. The Visionary’s principles are no different. Challenge, concreteness, and macro perspectives are compared and analyzed through quantitative data, expert evaluations, and global indicators. The selection criteria are broadly five: establishing a unique position, boundary-crossing influence, frame transformation, original creativity, and global impact.

Sixty experts with professional insights in content production and business participated in the judging. Objectivity was ensured through evaluation indicators using big data. They applied global research in cooperation with Endeavor, a global entertainment group’s analytics division, and strengthened reliability by linking with WME, a major U.S. agency representing global artists and creators. Yang said, "There was a significant difference between the figures valued domestically and overseas," adding, "The latter also has a complementary nature but will be important data for understanding future K-content trends." A representative example was actor Joo Jonghyuk, who unfortunately missed the award. He noted, "Thanks to 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo,' his overseas recognition was quite high," and predicted, "He will receive considerable love calls from Hollywood and other overseas markets this year."

This year’s awardees are ten individuals including actors Lee Jungjae, Kim Hyesu, Ma Dongseok, Park Eunbin; producers Na Youngseok and Lee Jinju; film director Park Chanwook; singers IU and (G)I-DLE; and writer Jung Seokyung. All were evaluated as having maintained or newly defined their identities. The figure with the most pronounced subjectivity is (G)I-DLE. The members’ active album producing received high marks. There have been 'artist-type groups' before, but it is rare for a group to debut and consistently release distinctive songs while securing a global fandom. Yang said, "Their chart rankings and views are high, but especially the originality of the members, particularly leader Soyeon, is excellent," explaining, "Last year, with songs like 'Nxde,' they broke prejudices with lyrics and new word definitions, transforming frames and erasing the passive nature of K-pop." She added, "They have grown to the point where newly debuting girl groups look up to them as role models and benchmark them. The ability to uniquely convey their own stories will become important in the future K-pop market."

Ma Dongseok’s starring film 'The Outlaws 2' became the highest-grossing domestic film last year. CJ ENM focused not only on the cumulative audience of 12,693,175 but also on the so-called 'Ma Dongseok Universe.' They predicted that his unique characters would develop into a kind of genre, riding long-term waves and circulating. Yang said, "The Artbox CEO character, who gained popularity with a cameo in 'Veteran' (2015), evolved into Sanghwa in 'Train to Busan' (2016), Ma Seokdo in 'The Outlaws' (2017), Seongjushin in 'Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds' (2018), and Geoseok brother in 'Start-Up' (2019), establishing him as an irreplaceable actor," and evaluated, "He leads not only acting but also planning, development, and production. His footprints are highly valued for maximizing his strengths and approaching new possibilities."

CJ ENM aims to present a new K-content landscape by supporting these activities. As the direct selector of the Visionary, they are determined to discover diverse originality and lead the global market. Gu Changgeun, CEO of CJ ENM, said, "Even in a rapidly changing environment, K-content continues to build a strong global fandom and increase its influence," adding, "That power comes from the originality inherent in people. We will also continuously contemplate the future we will create and present a clear vision."