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61st Baeksang Arts Awards: Lovely Runner's Byun Woo Seok, Kim Hye Yoon win popularity poll amid vote rigging controversy
Beloved Lovely Runner couple became the fourth pair from the same drama to win popular choice Baeksang award. Know more.
The Baeksang Arts Awards 2025 has officially kicked off by crowning the winners of its first category. The actor and actress who took home the PRIZM Popularity Award were announced on May 2, with one of the heavily speculated female leads, from among Kim Hye Yoon, IU and Hyeri, winning in the category. Given the voting controversy surrounding the top three female contenders, there are mixed reactions regarding the result.
The actor who became the fan favorite and won the 61st Baeksang Arts Award in the PRIZM Popularity category was Lovely Runner's Byeon Woo Seok. His Lovely Runner co-star, Kim Hye Yoon, claimed the female category title, showcasing that they remained a beloved on-screen couple even after a year since the conclusion of their drama. They became the fourth pair from the same drama to win the popular choice Baeksang award and also broke the record for the highest vote count in Baeksang history.
Byun Woo Seok earned over 2.4 million votes, leaving behind When Life Gives You Tangerines' Park Bo Gum by 1,798,208 votes. The second-placed actor earned over 0.6 million votes, followed by Jung Hae In in third place with over 0.1 million votes. LEW Jun Hyuk and Dex ended in the No. 4 and 5 spots, respectively. In the actress category, Kim Hye Yoon won with more than 7.8 million votes, followed closely by Friendly Rivalry's Hyeri (over 6.9 million votes). IU, Haewon and Kim Tae Ri took the 3rd, 4th and 5th places, respectively.
The top 5 contenders for PRIZM Popularity Award:
Male category
- Byun Woo Seok – 2,404,031 votes
- Park Bo Gum – 605,823 votes
- Jung Hae In – 180,165 votes
- Lee Jun Hyuk – 105,072 votes
- Dex – 87,384 votes
Female category
- Kim Hye Yoon – 7,873,877 votes
- Hyeri – 6,923,153 votes
- IU – 3,474,101 votes
- Haewon – 40,209 votes
- Kim Tae Ri – 33,424 votes
With most fans being happy with the result, some expressed concerns regarding the previous allegations of automated voting for the female category. As per them, it's uncertain whether the speculations were true and if they impacted the final results. The awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on May 5.
