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On April 12, 2025, Queen of Tears lead actress Kim Ji-won made headlines for allegedly being snubbed at the 2025 Baeksang Art Awards. Disheartened fans discovered that the judge and pop culture critic Jeong Deok-hyeon revealed that the actress wasn't nominated this year because she "hadn't really shined" in the series.
Jeong Deok-hyeon stated that several fans questioned him on how Kim Soo-hyun got nominated last year, but Kim Ji-won was snubbed both in 2024 and 2025. He clarified that during the 2024 Baeksang Art Awards, some of the episodes from Queen of Tears were released.
Although they couldn't judge the series and the actors based on a few episodes, it was eligible to earn nominations.
"When the first round of judging started, it started pretty early. Queen of Tears hadn't even begun airing yet. So there was a lot of debate over whether to include it or not. Since it barely made the cutoff, there's actually an original standard. If a certain percentage has aired, then it becomes eligible."
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Jeong Deok-hyeon added that Kim Soo-hyun's acting in Queen of Tears shone brighter even in those few episodes. The controversy intensified after a jury member commented that Kim Ji-won's performance did not stand out in the Netflix series.
However, fans were surprised to learn that Jeong Deok-hyeon and other judges had even informed Kim Ji-won's agency, claiming that her performance wasn't noteworthy enough to earn a nomination at the 2025 Baeksang Art Awards.
"But it was difficult for us to judge it properly without having seen the full content. At the point we were watching it, male lead's performance stood out clearly, but Kim Ji-won's hadn't really shined yet on the video. That's why she didn't make it into the nominations. [...] But awards like this, honestly, there's a bit of luck involved."
The omission of Kim Ji-won from the nominations sparked a broader conversation about the recognition of female performances in the industry and the criteria used to evaluate acting merit. One fan wrote on X:
"“honestly, there's a bit of luck involved.” and when it comes to women, they said it’s all abt luck. misogyny at its finest."
Fans took to social media to express their disappointment, questioning the decision-making process behind the nominations of Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won.
"Then put it in next year which means this year. Why rush to put the actor into the nomination. Disappointing. Honestly, just being nominated is very grateful, Gee is not that greedy," a fan wrote.
"I still remember it very clearly at last year baeksang, when they using jiwon's face on those big screens with her co-stars but didn't even nominate her in any nominations... they just used her for clout. It pissed me somehow," another fan recalled.
"It’s sad and frustrating. And it’s not just because Kim Jiwon wasn’t nominated. She’s a versatile actress who always does well in every role. It’s unfair to say it’s just because the male lead is more popular. Talent should be recognized," another fan added.
Jury member Jeong Deok-hyeon's rationale was met with skepticism and frustration from fans, who argued that both leads delivered equally powerful performances that contributed to the show's success.
"Huh? His acting was mid at most tbh, she carried the drama. To me, he was just pretty annoying but I continued to watch it just because of her. This was before we got to know that he is a g***mer, a horrible human being," a fan reacted.
"Not them exposing themselves for being misogynist. If you can nominate THAT clown then she should also be elligible... the drama name is QUEEN of tears not KING of tears lol Her performance stood out too... i'm glad at least she got many popularities but she deserved better," another fan said.
"Again, this is crazy to me bc as early as ep 1, you could already tell jiwon gave the better performance.. acting isn't about who's flashier.. who's crying more.. who's "more comedic"... it's balance. subtlety + the right amount of expressiveness + raw emotions. weirdos," another fan added.
Baeksang Awards came under fire over Kim Ji-won’s Queen of Tears nomination snub
The 61st Baeksang Arts Awards (2025) came under fire from fans and critics alike following the omission of actress Kim Ji-won from the Best Actress nominations for her role in the hit K-drama Queen of Tears.
Queen of Tears, which aired on tvN and streamed on Netflix, achieved remarkable success, peaking at a 24.9% viewership rating according to Nielsen Korea. It became the highest-rated series in tvN’s history.
The drama also garnered international acclaim, winning Best Scriptwriting at the Asian Television Awards and Best Director at the Asian Academy Creative Awards in 2024.
In response to the backlash, the Baeksang Arts Awards committee has not issued an official statement addressing the controversy. The selection process for the awards involves a panel of industry experts who evaluate performances across various categories, aiming to maintain a rigorous and fair assessment.
Queen of Tears has 16 episodes and is available on Netflix. It stars Kim Ji-won, Lee Joo-bin, and Park Sung-hoon, among others.
