Cha Eun-woo, Day6, & more bag top honours at the 2024 Korea Popular Culture And Arts Awards: Complete winners list

The 2024 Korea Popular Culture And Arts Awards ceremony will be held on October 31 at the Haeoreum Grand Theater. It aims to recognize and inspire those in the popular culture industry, such as singers, actors, comedians, voice actors, writers, directors, and producers.

This year, 31 individuals and groups were awarded, honoring those who have helped build K-content’s global reputation. Recipients of this year's Korea Popular Culture And Arts Awards included well-renowned artists, like Day6, Cha Eun-woo, Go Min-si, Yoon Sung-ho, Jung Ho-yeon, Chun Woo-hee, Lee Je-hoon, and Go Min-si.

The awards included six recipients of the Order of Culture, seven Presidential Commendations, eight Prime Minister’s Commendations, and 10 Minister of Culture Commendations.

2024 Korea Popular Culture And Arts Awards: Who won what

Winners of the 2024 Korea Popular Culture And Arts Awards were chosen through public nominations and expert recommendations, with evaluations based on their career span, achievements in Korea and abroad, industry contributions, and social impact.

Here’s the complete list of winners of the 2024 Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards:

Eungwan Order of Cultural Merit:

Shin Goo, Actor
Kang Boo-ja, Actress

Bogwan Order of Cultural Merit:

Kim Chang-wan, Singer
Lim Ki-hong, Writer

Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit:

Lee Moon-se, Singer

Hwagwan Order of Cultural Merit:

Choi Soo-jong, Actor

Presidential Commendation:

Kim Mok-kyung, Guitarist
Yeom Hye-ran, Actress
Jo Jung-suk, Actor
Hong Kwang-ho, Musical Actor
Kim Han-min, Film Director
Kim Do-hyun, Voice Actor
Lee Tae-kyung, Sound Artist

Prime Minister’s Commendation:

Chun Woo-hee, Actress
Lee Je-hoon, Actor
Choi Jae-rim, Musical Actor
Jang Ki-ha, Singer
Kim Young-jin, Voice Actor
Jang Jae-hyun, Film Director
Kim Sung-soo, Music Director
Kenzie, Composer

Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism’s Commendation:

DAY6, Band
Silica Gel, Band
JANNABI, Band
Ahn Eun-jin, Actress
Cha Eun-woo, Actor
Go Min-si, Actress
Yoon Sung-ho, Comedian
Jung Ho-yeon, Actress
Yoon Jong-ho, Director
Jang Hyeon-ki, Performance Producer

The Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards is an annual government awards ceremony in South Korea, organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism alongside the Korea Creative Content Agency. Established in 2010, it celebrates contributions to contemporary pop culture and the arts, recognizing achievements in fields like acting, singing, comedy, and modeling.

The Korea Popular Culture And Arts Awards are divided into four categories: the Order of Cultural Merit, which is the highest honor, the Presidential Commendation, the Prime Minister’s Commendation, and the Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Commendation.

2024 Korea Popular Culture And Arts Awards: More about the winners

Day6 is a South Korean pop-rock band under JYP Entertainment. They debuted on September 7, 2015, with the EP The Day, which reached No. 2 on Billboard's World Album Chart shortly after its release. The band consists of four members: Sungjin, Young K, Wonpil, and Dowoon. Initially a six-member group, Junhyeok left on February 27, 2016, and Jae departed on December 31, 2021.

In 2017, Day6 embarked on their Every Day6 project, releasing two songs each month, resulting in 25 new songs added to their discography. Their music spans genres from hard rock and upbeat sing-alongs to mellow ballads.

Sunrise, their first full-length album, featured songs from the first half of the Every Day6 project. The album ranked No. 14 on Billboard's "The 25 Greatest K-Pop Albums of the 2010s," and the project kickoff song "I Wait" was listed at No. 81 on Billboard's "The 100 Greatest K-Pop Songs of the 2010s."

Cha Eun-woo is a South Korean singer and actor born on March 30, 1997, and signed under Fantagio. A member of the boy band Astro, Cha Eun-woo debuted as a solo artist with the EP Entity on February 15, 2024. Cha Eun-woo began his acting career with My Brilliant Life and is recognized for roles in Gangnam Beauty, True Beauty, and Wonderful World.

Chun Woo-hee, born on April 20, 1987, is a South Korean actress who debuted in 2004. She gained initial recognition for her role as a rebellious teen in the hit film Sunny. Chun Woo-hee's other notable performances include lead roles in Han Gong-ju, The Piper, The Beauty Inside, Love, Lies, The Wailing, and The Atypical Family.

Go Min-si, born on February 15, 1995, is a South Korean actress, model, and director under Mystic Story Entertainment. She is recognized for her significant roles in television series including Love Alarm, Sweet Home, and Youth of May, as well as in films such as The Witch: Part 1, The Subversion, and Smugglers.

About the author

Prachi specializes in covering K-pop and K-drama as a popular culture writer at Sportskeeda. A graduate with triple majors in Psychology, English, and Performing Arts, Prachi has previously written for Essentially Sports.

For Prachi, maintaining accuracy, relevance, and ethical reporting is of utmost importance. She prioritizes extensive research by delving deep into primary sources to ensure the information she provides is comprehensive and trustworthy. Prachi supplements her research with her own knowledge about the topic and cross-checks every fact as part of her reporting process.

A K-pop fan and cultural studies enthusiast, Prachi is deeply familiar with the Hallyu landscape and its global influence. It was BTS' Blood Sweat and Tears music video that piqued her interest in the group and their culture. Thus, when the opportunity arose to pursue her interests and write about them, Prachi seized it.

When not writing, Prachi likes to dance and is professionally trained in the art form.

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Edited by Gayatri Chivukula