Which film will take Best Picture at Korea's most-watched movie awards this year? The 47th Blue Dragon Film Awards (제47회 청룡영화상, Cheongnyong Yeonghwasang) take place on Wednesday, November 25, 2026, at KBS Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, with a live broadcast on KBS2. The nominee list, released on October 28, reads like a summary of a big year for Korean cinema: a Cannes monster movie, a Venice prize winner, a historical drama that became one of the most-watched films in Korean box office history, and a Yeon Sang-ho outbreak thriller. This guide covers the confirmed date and venue, the full shortlist in the major categories, how the fan vote works and when it closes, the storylines worth following, and which nominated films you can already stream. All details are as of November 9, 2026.
Key takeaways
- The ceremony is on November 25, 2026, at KBS Hall in Yeouido, broadcast live on KBS2. Na Hong-jin's Hope leads with 10 nominations, followed by Lee Chang-dong's Possible Love with 8.
- Fan voting runs on the Celeb Champ app. Six craft categories close at midnight on November 12 (KST); the ten main categories, including Best Picture and the Popular Star Award, close at midnight on November 24 (KST).
- Possible Love arrived on Netflix on November 6, so it is the easiest nominee to watch legally outside Korea right now. For the others, check your own country's services.
Contents
- Date, venue and broadcast
- How the fan vote works
- Best Picture and Best Director nominees
- The acting categories
- Five storylines to follow on the night
- The new actor and actress race
- Where to watch the nominated films
- A look back at the 2025 winners
- FAQ
- Final thoughts
- Sources
Date, venue and broadcast
The Blue Dragon Film Awards are run by Sports Chosun, a sister brand of the Chosun Ilbo newspaper. The show began life as the Joseon Ilbo Film Awards, and today it sits alongside the Grand Bell Awards as one of the two best-known film prizes in Korea. If you follow K-dramas more than Korean movies, think of it as the film-only counterpart to the Baeksang Arts Awards. Baeksang covers film, television and theatre together. Blue Dragon is all cinema.
Organizers confirmed on October 12 that the 47th edition would be held on November 25 at KBS Hall in Yeouido. Sports Chosun and Cineplay both say it will be broadcast live on KBS2. Wikipedia's ceremony page also lists KBS, YouTube and Naver NOW as coverage platforms, which matches recent years. Whether a live stream is viewable from your country is a separate question. Korean broadcasters often geo-restrict live streams, so plan on short official clips and highlight uploads if you are abroad.
Quick facts
| Item | Detail (as of November 9, 2026) |
| Edition | 47th Blue Dragon Film Awards |
| Date | Wednesday, November 25, 2026 (evening, Korea time) |
| Venue | KBS Hall, Yeouido, Seoul |
| Broadcast | Live on KBS2; online platforms also listed |
| Nominees announced | October 28, 2026, in 15 categories |
| Most nominations | Hope (10), then Possible Love (8), The King's Warden (7), Colony (6) |
| Fan vote | Celeb Champ app, opened November 2 |
The host line-up for 2026 had not been confirmed in the English-language sources we checked. Han Ji-min and Lee Je-hoon hosted the 2025 ceremony, so watch the official announcements before the show.
How the fan vote works
The Blue Dragon process has two stages. The shortlist itself came from expert panel votes combined with online fan votes held from October 13 to October 25. A second round of fan voting, which opened on November 2 on the Celeb Champ mobile app, now feeds into the final results.
The weighting matters, because it is often misunderstood on social media. For 15 of the categories, the combined fan-vote result counts the same as the vote of one professional judge. Fans have a voice, but they cannot overturn the jury alone. The exception is the Chung Jung One Popular Star Award (청정원 인기스타상). It goes to four people: two men and two women. One man and one woman are chosen purely by Celeb Champ votes. The other pair is chosen by combining the app vote with votes from Sports Chosun reporters and experts. Blue Dragon also uses a real-name judging system and publishes the judges and their votes after the ceremony.
How to take part from abroad
- Install the Celeb Champ app from your phone's official app store. If it does not appear in your country's store, the vote may not be open to you, so do not use unofficial download sites.
- Open the 47th Blue Dragon Film Awards voting page inside the app and pick a category.
- Vote in the six craft categories first: Cinematography and Lighting, Screenplay, Music, Art Direction, Editing and Technical Award close at midnight on November 12, Korea time (KST, UTC+9).
- Vote in the ten main categories (Best Picture, Director, New Director, the four acting awards, the two newcomer awards and the Popular Star Award) before midnight on November 24, KST, the night before the ceremony.
- Convert the deadline to your own time zone. KST is 14 hours ahead of US Eastern time in November, so a late-night Korean deadline falls on the morning of the same date in New York.
The app's own rules on daily vote limits or ad-based tickets can change, so read the in-app notice rather than relying on fan posts.
Best Picture and Best Director nominees
Five films are in the Best Picture race, and their directors make up the Best Director shortlist as well. That neat overlap means the two prizes could split, or one film could sweep both.
| Film | Director | What it is | Korean release |
| Hope (호프) | Na Hong-jin | Science-fiction monster epic; competed for the Palme d'Or at Cannes | July 15, 2026 |
| The King's Warden (왕과 사는 남자) | Jang Hang-jun | Historical drama about the exiled King Danjong in 1457 | February 4, 2026 |
| Colony (군체) | Yeon Sang-ho | Action horror; survivors quarantined in a building during an outbreak | May 21, 2026 |
| The Assassin(s) (암살자(들)) | Hur Jin-ho | Political thriller set around the August 15, 1974 assassination attempt on Park Chung Hee | September 23, 2026 |
| The World of Love (세계의 주인) | Yoon Ga-eun | Coming-of-age drama about a 17-year-old student | October 22, 2025 |
 Na Hong-jin, Jung Ho-yeon and Zo In-sung at the Hope photocall, Cannes, May 18, 2026. Photo: Gabriel Hutchinson / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 |  Jung Ho-yeon, a Best New Actress nominee for Hope, at Cannes in May 2026. Photo: Gabriel Hutchinson / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 |  Na Hong-jin, whose Hope leads the field with 10 nominations, at Cannes in May 2026. Photo: Gabriel Hutchinson / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 |
Notice what is missing. Possible Love, which won the Grand Jury Prize at Venice and is Korea's submission for the Academy Awards' international feature category, has eight nominations but is not on the Best Picture list. It does compete in screenplay, music, editing and cinematography, and in all four acting categories.
The acting categories
This is the section most international fans care about, because the lists include several names you probably know from dramas.
| Category | Nominees (film) |
| Best Actor | Koo Kyo-hwan (Once We Were Us), Park Hae-il (The Assassin(s)), Sul Kyung-gu (Possible Love), Yoo Hae-jin (The King's Warden), Zo In-sung (Hope) |
| Best Actress | Go Ah-sung (Pavane), Moon Ga-young (Once We Were Us), Shin Min-a (The Eyes), Lee Jung-eun (The Journey to Gyeongju), Jeon Do-yeon (Possible Love) |
| Best Supporting Actor | Koo Kyo-hwan (Colony), Oh Jung-se (Wild Sing), Um Mun-suk (Hope), Lee Min-ho (The Assassin(s)), Zo In-sung (Possible Love) |
| Best Supporting Actress | Kim Shin-rok (Colony), Park Ji-hyun (Wild Sing), Jang Hye-jin (The World of Love), Jeon Mi-do (The King's Warden), Cho Yeo-jeong (Possible Love) |
 Jeon Do-yeon, a Best Actress nominee for Possible Love, at the New York Film Festival, September 2026. Photo: LR.127 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 |  Sul Kyung-gu, a Best Actor nominee for Possible Love, in New York, September 2026. Photo: LR.127 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 |  Koo Kyo-hwan, nominated for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, at a press preview on September 16, 2026. Photo: K-POPIT 케이팝잇 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 |
The Best Actress list is a good bridge for drama fans. Moon Ga-young is best known abroad for True Beauty, Shin Min-a for Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, and Go Ah-sung for The Host, Snowpiercer and the drama Life on Mars. Jeon Do-yeon, who won Best Actress at Cannes for Secret Sunshine back in 2007, is the veteran in the field. Lee Jung-eun, the housekeeper Moon-gwang in Parasite, is nominated for an independent road film.
 Moon Ga-young, a Best Actress nominee for Once We Were Us, at a 2025 photo call. Photo: K-POPIT 케이팝잇 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 |  Shin Min-a, a Best Actress nominee for The Eyes, at a 2025 brand event. Photo: 티비텐 TV10 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 |  Go Ah-sung, a Best Actress nominee for Pavane, in a 2022 photo. Photo: 월드비전 World Vision Korea / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 |
Five storylines to follow on the night
1. Two double nominees
Koo Kyo-hwan and Zo In-sung are each nominated twice, in lead and supporting categories. Koo is up for Best Actor for the romance Once We Were Us and Best Supporting Actor for Colony. Zo is up for Best Actor for Hope and Best Supporting Actor for Possible Love. Being nominated against yourself is rare, and it shows how busy both actors were in the eligibility window.
2. Possible Love's full acting sweep of nominations
Lee Chang-dong's film placed one actor in every acting category: Sul Kyung-gu, Jeon Do-yeon, Zo In-sung and Cho Yeo-jeong. Cho Yeo-jeong is a name many international viewers know from Parasite. Without a Best Picture nomination, the acting prizes and the screenplay award are where this film can win.
3. Box office versus festival prestige
The King's Warden had recorded about 16.9 million admissions by July 2026, according to Wikipedia's summary of box office data, making it the second most-watched film in South Korean history. It won the Grand Prize at the 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards. Hope, by contrast, arrives with the festival profile of a Cannes competition slot and the largest nomination count. Blue Dragon juries have rewarded both types of film in the past, so this is a real contest.
 Park Hae-il, a Best Actor nominee, at TIFF for The Assassin(s), September 2026. Photo: JoshPopov / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 |  Lee Min-ho, a Best Supporting Actor nominee, at TIFF, September 2026. Photo: JoshPopov / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 |  Yoo Hae-jin, nominated for Best Actor for The King's Warden, at TIFF for The Assassin(s). Photo: JoshPopov / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 |
4. Lee Min-ho in a film category
Lee Min-ho, a household name abroad from Boys Over Flowers, The Heirs and Pachinko, is nominated for Best Supporting Actor for The Assassin(s). Expect a lot of international fan attention on this category, and keep in mind that the fan vote counts as just one judge here.
5. Yeon Sang-ho's outbreak return
The Train to Busan director is back in the Best Director race with Colony, which premiered in the Midnight Screenings section at Cannes in May. Its cast includes Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Shin Hyun-been, Kim Shin-rok and Go Soo. Kim Shin-rok, whom drama fans know from Hellbound and Reborn Rich, picked up a supporting actress nomination. She also appears in Son Suk-ku's new Netflix series; we covered that in our Son Suk-ku dramas and movies guide.
 Yeon Sang-ho, a Best Director nominee for Colony, at BIFF in October 2026. Photo: Arielaortizb / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 |  Kim Shin-rok, a Best Supporting Actress nominee for Colony, at BIFF in October 2026. Photo: Arielaortizb / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 |  K-pop group BOYNEXTDOOR at the 2025 ceremony. Music performances are part of the broadcast every year. Photo: 티비텐 TV10 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 |
The new actor and actress race
The newcomer categories tend to produce the most surprising headlines, and this year they include two names from the music world.
- Best New Actor: Moon Sang-min (Pavane), Moon Ji-hoon (Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub), Park Ji-hoon (The King's Warden), Lee Jong-won (Salmokji: Whispering Water), Joo Min-hyeong (Funky Freaky Freaks).
- Best New Actress: Kim Si-a (Summer's Camera), Seo Su-bin (The World of Love), Lee Yeon (The Journey to Gyeongju), Jang Da-ah (Salmokji: Whispering Water), Jung Ho-yeon (Hope).
K-pop fans will recognize Park Ji-hoon, who finished second on Produce 101 season 2 and debuted with Wanna One before leading Weak Hero. He plays the deposed young King Danjong, and The King's Warden already won three Baeksang Arts Awards, including Best New Actor. Moon Ji-hoon is better known as the rapper Swings. Jung Ho-yeon, who became internationally famous through Squid Game, is nominated here for her film work in Hope. In Korean awards, "new" refers to a performer's film career, which is why established TV or music names can appear in these categories.
Where to watch the nominated films
This is where honest limits matter. Korean films usually reach international streaming services months after their theatrical run, and rights differ by country.
- Possible Love: Netflix announced a November 6, 2026 release on its service, after Korean (September 23) and US (October 23) theatrical openings. Search the title in your Netflix app to confirm it is in your region.
- The King's Warden, Hope, Colony, The Assassin(s), Once We Were Us: we did not find a confirmed global streaming home for each of these as of November 9, 2026. Check JustWatch for your country, local Korean film distributors, and festival or cinema listings.
- Avoid unofficial uploads. Illegal streams often carry malware and take money away from the filmmakers you are cheering for.
If you are trying to catch up on Korean TV first, our November 2026 K-drama release guide lists what is airing now and where it streams.
A look back at the 2025 winners
The 46th ceremony took place on November 19, 2025, at the same KBS Hall, hosted by Han Ji-min and Lee Je-hoon. Park Chan-wook's No Other Choice was the night's big winner with six awards, including Best Film and Best Director. Hyun Bin won Best Actor for Harbin, and Son Ye-jin won Best Actress for No Other Choice. The four Popular Star Awards went to Park Jin-young, Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin and Im Yoon-ah. Nielsen Korea measured a nationwide rating of 3.4% for the broadcast. The night also had musical performances; K-pop group BOYNEXTDOOR attended.
That 2025 result is a useful reminder: a film with the most nominations (No Other Choice had 12) can convert them into the top prizes, but acting awards often spread across several films. Visiting Seoul around the ceremony? Late November is cold, so see our Korea in November weather and packing guide. The ceremony itself is not a ticketed public event in the way a concert is, so fans usually gather online rather than at the venue.
FAQ
When are the 2026 Blue Dragon Film Awards?
Wednesday, November 25, 2026, at KBS Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, with a live broadcast on KBS2.
Which film has the most nominations?
Na Hong-jin's Hope, with 10. Lee Chang-dong's Possible Love has 8, The King's Warden 7 and Colony 6.
Can international fans vote?
Voting is through the Celeb Champ app. If the app is available in your country's official store, you can follow the in-app steps. The main categories close at midnight on November 24, KST.
Does the fan vote decide the winners?
Only partly. For 15 categories, the combined fan vote counts as much as one professional judge. One male and one female Popular Star Award are decided by fans alone.
Is Blue Dragon the same as the Baeksang Arts Awards?
No. Baeksang covers film, television and theatre and is held in the second quarter of the year, usually spring. Blue Dragon is a film-only award held in late autumn.
Final thoughts
The 2026 shortlist puts a commercial phenomenon, a festival-favorite auteur and a Cannes genre epic in the same room. For international viewers, the easiest way in is to watch Possible Love on Netflix, look up the trailers for Hope and The King's Warden, and follow the official highlight clips after the broadcast. We will not predict winners, because the jury votes are not public until after the show. Watching Koo Kyo-hwan and Zo In-sung compete in two categories each should make this one of the more interesting ceremonies in years.
Related posts
- Son Suk-ku Dramas and Movies: Where to Start Before The Blue Road
- Dead-End Job on Netflix: Cast and Spoiler-Free Episode Guide
- 100 Days of Deception: Cast, Schedule and Where to Watch
Photos are event, festival and portrait images under Creative Commons licenses from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each image. None are film stills.
Sources
- Soompi: 47th Blue Dragon Film Awards announces nominees (Oct 28, 2026)
- Soompi: Blue Dragon Film Awards announces date for 2026 ceremony
- HanCinema: 47th Blue Dragon Film Awards 2026 nominees list
- Chosun Biz: Hope tops Blue Dragon nominations
- Sports Chosun: Online voting begins to decide the winners
- Cineplay: 47th Blue Dragon Film Awards opens fan voting
- Wikipedia: 47th Blue Dragon Film Awards
- Wikipedia: 46th Blue Dragon Film Awards
- Wikipedia: Blue Dragon Film Awards
- Wikipedia: The King's Warden
- Wikipedia: Hope (2026 film)
- Wikipedia: Possible Love
- Wikipedia: Colony (2026 film)
- Wikipedia: The Assassin(s)
- Wikipedia: The World of Love
- Wikipedia: Once We Were Us
- Wikipedia: Park Ji-hoon
- Wikipedia: Swings (rapper)
- Netflix: Possible Love final trailer ahead of November 6 Netflix release
By the Korea Vibe Hopper team · Updated November 9, 2026