The Korea Musical Awards () was a South Korean awards ceremony for musical theater, hosted annually by Sports Chosun. Established in 1995, it ran for 19 ceremonies, with its final event held in 2013. Typically held in late October, the awards recognized musical works performed and actors who appeared in those works from October of the previous year to September of the current year. The 20th ceremony, planned for 2014, was canceled due to organizational circumstances,Korea Musical Awards ceremony cannot be held this year | Sports Chosun, October 27, 2014 and the awards were subsequently permanently abolished due to budget shortages.
Overview The Korea Musical Awards emerged from a growing public fascination with musical theater in South Korea. Previously, musicals were often relegated to subcategories within broader play awards. The dedicated ceremony, spearheaded by reporter Park Yong-jae as part of the "Watching Musicals" initiative, aimed to distinctly define and foster the development of the genre. The inaugural event set a significant precedent by combining the awards ceremony with a celebratory musical concert, even pausing performances at the Munye Theater for a day to host the event, underscoring its importance to the industry.
The awards' core mission was to popularize musicals and revitalize original Korean productions. Consequently, they prioritized local works for major categories such as the Grand Prize, Best Composition, and Best Script. While acknowledging the increasing market influence of licensed international musicals in the 2000s—highlighted by the success of The Phantom of the Opera in 2002—the awards adapted by introducing the "Best International Musical" category. This annual festival served as a comprehensive overview of the year's musical landscape, engaging the entire musical community through its gala show, which was broadcast with a time delay. The Korea Musical Awards ran for 19 editions, concluding in 2013.
Past Winners
Best Musical Award Winners No.YearWorkOriginalLicensed1st1995I'm Gonna Be a Star2nd1996The Last Empress3rd1997Winter Wanderer4th1998Hanne5th1999Anikkeng6th2000Typhoon7th2001No winner8th2002The Play9th2003Romeo and Juliet10th2004Maria Maria11th2005I Love You12th2006Oh! While You Were Sleeping13th2007Dancing Shadow14th2008The Sound of Music in My Heart15th2009Dae Jang Geum16th2010Hero17th2011Sherlock Holmes18th2012The Missing Crown PrinceLa Cage aux Folles19th2013The DaysLes Misérables
Past Winners by Category
1st Korea Musical Awards (1995) + 1st Annual (1995) Korea Musical Awards Winners Category Winner Work / Company Best Production I'm Gonna Be a Star (Acom Musical Production) Best Director Lee Jong-hoon The Pupa (Maekto Theater Company) Best Actor Park Chul-ho Jinggye Maenggye Neoreundeul (Seoul Arts Company) Best Actress Na Hyun-hee I'm Gonna Be a Star (Acom Musical Production) Best Playwright Oh Eun-hee The Pupa (Maekto Theater Company) Best Composer Kim Hyung-suk I'm Gonna Be a Star (Acom Production) Best Choreography Seo Byung-gu Best Stage Design Park Dong-woo Best Technical Son Jin-sook The Pupa (Maekto Theater Company) Special Award Choi Chang-kwon, Yoon Bok-hee, Kim Sung-won N/A (Individual) Best New Actor Joo Won-sung Grease Rock 'n' Roll (Shinshi Musical Company) Best New Actress Choi Jung-won The Last Dance with Me (Shinwha Theater Company) Popular Star Award Nam Kyung-joo, Ha Hee-ra
2nd Korea Musical Awards (1996) + 2nd Annual (1996) Korea Musical Awards Winners Category Winner Work / Company Best Production The Last Empress (Acom Musical Production) Best Director Yoon Ho-jin The Last Empress (Acom Musical Production) Best Actor Nam Kyung-eup Love Rides the Rain (Seoul Musical Company) Best Actress Kim Sung-nyeo Seven Brides (Shinshi Musical Company) Best Supporting Actor Kim Min-soo The Last Empress (Acom Musical Production) Best Supporting Actress Choi Jung-won Love Rides the Rain (Seoul Musical Company) Best Playwright Kim Jung-sook Blue Saigon (Mosin Saramdeul Theater Company) Best Music Choi Gwi-seop Love Rides the Rain (Seoul Musical Company) Best Choreography Kuk Soo-ho Gwanggaeto the Great (Seoul Changmu Theater Company) Best Stage Design Park Dong-woo The Last Empress (Acom Musical Production) Best Technical Kim Hyun-sook Best New Actor Kim Beop-rae Atlantis 2045 (Seoul Arts Company) Best New Actress Kim Jung-sook Seven Brides (Shinshi Musical Company) Popular Star Award Yoon Seok-hwa, Nam Kyung-joo The Last Empress (Acom Musical Production), Love Rides the Rain (Seoul Musical Company) Special Award Choi Yeon-ho Stage Designer (Individual)
3rd Korea Musical Awards (1997) + 3rd Annual (1997) Korea Musical Awards Winners Category Winner Work / Company Grand Prize Winter Wanderer (Acom Musical Production) Best Director Bae Hae-il Show Comedy (Seoul Musical Company) Best Actor Nam Kyung-joo Whale Hunting (Hwan Performance) Best Actress Yoon Bok-hee Padam Padam Padam (Yu Theater Company) Best Supporting Actor Song Yong-tae Best Supporting Actress Jeon Soo-kyung Broadway 42nd Street (Samsung Video Business Group) Best Music Choi Jong-hyuk Nowhere Are My Footprints Left (Seoul City Dance Troupe) Best Choreography Ahn Ae-soon Best Stage Design Park Dong-woo Winter Wanderer (Acom) Best Technical Kim Ki-young, Kim Young-soo Show Comedy (Seoul Musical Company Sound), Broadway 42nd Street (Samsung Video Business Group Stage Manager) Best New Actor Seo Chang-woo Winter Wanderer (Acom) Best New Actress Oh Jung-hae Show Comedy (Seoul Musical Company) Popular Star Award Nam Kyung-joo, Kim Min-soo, Lee Jung-hwa, Choi Jung-won N/A (Individual) Special Award Chae Kyung-ho Winter Wanderer (Acom Special Effects), Broadway 42nd Street (Chorus Team)
4th Korea Musical Awards (1998) + 4th Annual (1998) Korea Musical Awards Winners Category Winner Work / Company Best Production Hanne (Seoul City Musical Company) Best Director Lee Jong-hoon Hanne (Seoul City Musical Company) Best Actor Yoo Hee-sung Simcheong (Seoul Arts Company), The Last Empress (Acom Production) Best Actress Kim Won-jung, Lee Tae-won The Last Empress (Acom Production) Best Supporting Actor Kwak Eun-tae Hanne (Seoul City Musical Company) Best Supporting Actress Lee Jung-hwa Broadway 42nd Street (Samsung Video Business Group), Simcheong (Seoul Arts Company) Best Music Choi Chang-kwon, Choi Gwi-seop Simcheong (Seoul Arts Company) Best Stage Design Yoon Jung-seop Hanne (Seoul City Musical Company) Best Technical Lee Sang-bong Simcheong (Seoul Arts Company Lighting) Best New Actor Ryu Jung-han West Side Story (Samsung Video Business Group) Best New Actress Lee Ji-eun Subway Line 1 (Hakjeon Theater Company) Special Award Kim Young-hwan, Hwan Performance, Oh Hyun-joo The Last Empress (New York Performance Promotion Committee Chairman), Nanta, (Seoul Changmu Theater Company)
5th Korea Musical Awards (1999) + 5th Annual (1999) Korea Musical Awards Winners Category Winner Work / Company Best Production Anikkeng (Seoul Arts Company) Best Director Park Jong-sun The Marriage of Figaro (Seoul City Musical Company) Best Actor Song Yong-tae Anikkeng (Seoul Arts Company), Men's Nonsense (Seoul Musical Company) Best Actress Jeon Soo-kyung Life (Shinshi Musical Company) Best Supporting Actor Lee In-chul Guys and Dolls (Min Gwang-dae) Best Supporting Actress Lim Sun-ae Hard Rock Cafe (Seoul Musical Company) Best Music Jung Chi-yong Queen of Tears (Samsung Video Business Group) Best Lyrics/Playwright No applicable work N/A Best Choreography Choi Chung-ja Fiddler on the Roof (Seoul City Musical Company) Best Stage Design/Costume Byun Chang-soon Bari - Forgotten Lullaby (Seoul Arts Company) Best Technical Lee Young-joo, Goo Yoo-jin Dracula (Gatgaji Theater Company Technical Director), Life (Shinshi Musical Company Makeup) Best Ensemble Life (Shinshi Musical Company Team) Best New Actor Oh Jae-ik Hard Rock Cafe (Seoul Musical Company) Best New Actress Lee Hye-kyung The Marriage of Figaro (Seoul City Musical Company) Special Award Kim Sang-yeol N/A (Individual)
6th Korea Musical Awards (2000) + 6th Annual (2000) Korea Musical Awards Winners Category Winner Work / Company Best Production Typhoon (Seoul Arts Company) Best Director Han Jin-sup Gambler (Shinshi Musical Company) Best Actor Heo Joon-ho Best Actress Lee Jung-hwa Typhoon (Seoul Arts Company) Best Supporting Actor Bang Jeong-sik Fame (Acom Musical Production) Best Supporting Actress Ko Mi-kyung Typhoon (Seoul Arts Company) Best Music Kim Dae-sung Best Writer/Playwright No applicable work N/A Best Choreography Park Il-gyu Typhoon (Seoul Arts Company) Best Stage Design/Costume Lee Tae-seop Rock Hamlet (Seoul Musical Company) Best Technical Kim Yoo-sun Typhoon (Seoul Arts Company Makeup) Best Ensemble Fame (Acom Musical Production Team) Best New Actor Jo Jeong-geun Typhoon (Seoul Arts Company) Best New Actress Kim Sun-young Fame (Acom Musical Production) Special Award Kim Min-ki, Choi Joo-bong Hakjeon Theater Company Representative, Gagyo Representative (Individual)
7th Korea Musical Awards (2001) + 7th Annual (2001) Korea Musical Awards Winners Category Winner Work / Company Best Production No applicable work (N/A) Best Director Kim Chul-ri Duet (Shinshi Musical Company) Best Actor Kim Sung-ki Dracula (Gatgaji Theater Company) Best Actress Choi Jung-won Chicago (Shinshi Musical Company) Best Supporting Actor Kim Jin-tae Chicago (Shinshi Musical Company) Best Supporting Actress Bang Joo-ran Brotherhood (Hakjeon Theater Company) Best Music Jung Min-sun The Sorrows of Young Werther (Gatgaji Theater Company) Best Lyrics/Playwright Oh Eun-hee Oh Happy Day (Seoul Musical Company) Best Choreography Jung Eun-jung Chicago, Rent (Shinshi Musical Company) Best Stage Design/Costume Lee Soo-dong Chicago, Rent, Duet (Shinshi Musical Company Costumes), All That Jazz (Star Search 21 Costumes) Best Technical Min Kyung-soo Chicago, Roman Holiday (Shinshi Musical Company Lighting) Best Ensemble Chicago (Shinshi Musical Company Team) Best New Actor Lee Kun-myung Rent (Shinshi Musical Company) Best New Actress Kim Young-joo Special Award Ven. Jung Woo Shinshi Musical Company Sponsor Chairman (Individual)
8th Korea Musical Awards (2002) + 8th Annual (2002) Korea Musical Awards Winners Category Winner Work / Company Best Production The Play (Intercommunity, Performance Bada) Best Director Lim Young-woong Kiss Me, Kate (Shinshi Musical Company) Best Actor Yoo Jun-sang The Play (Intercommunity, Performance Bada) Best Actress Jeon Soo-kyung Kiss Me, Kate (Shinshi Musical Company) Best Supporting Actor Im Choon-gil The Play (Intercommunity, Performance Bada) Best Supporting Actress Seo Ji-young Best Playwright Kim Soo-kyung Best Choreography Park Sang-gyu Tommy (Daejung Theater Company) Best Stage Design/Costume Kim Jun-seop Tick, Tick... Boom! (Shinshi Musical Company Stage Design) Best Technical Son Min-sik Cabaret, Tick, Tick... Boom! (Shinshi Musical Company Stage Manager) Best Ensemble Cabaret (Shinshi Musical Company Team) Best New Actor Yoon Young-seok The Phantom of the Opera (Jemiro-RUG) Best New Actress Bae Hae-sun The Rehearsal (OD Musical Company) Popular Star Award Nam Kyung-joo, Joo Won-sung, Heo Joon-ho, Kim Sun-kyung, Lee Hye-kyung, Choi Jung-won N/A (Individual) Best International Musical The Phantom of the Opera (Jemiro-RUG) Special Award Park Myung-sung, Yoon Dong-ha Shinshi Musical Company Representative, Jungang Stage Representative (Individual)
9th Korea Musical Awards (2003)