Winners Announced For 2026 Korean Musical Awards
The 10th Korean Musical Awards recognized productions and artists across major performance and creative categories during a ceremony in Seoul.
By: Joshua Wright Jan. 21, 2026
Korean JoongAng Daily reports that the 10th Korean Musical Awards were held on January 19, 2026, at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, marking a decade of the country’s national musical theater honors. The ceremony recognized productions, performers, and creative teams across a wide range of categories, with “The Man in Hanbok” and “Maybe Happy Ending” among the top award recipients.
“The Man in Hanbok,” which centers on a fictional final journey of Joseon-era inventor Jang Yeong-sil, received the Grand Prize. The production also earned the award for Orchestration and Music Direction, presented to Lee Sung-jun.
“Maybe Happy Ending,” a musical focused on two helper robots and emotional connection, received the Work Award in the category for theaters with 400 seats or more.
In the acting categories, Jo Jung-eun won Best Lead Performer (Female) for her role as Francesca in “The Bridges of Madison County,” while Park Eun-tae received Best Lead Performer (Male) for his portrayal of Robert Kincaid in the same production.
Supporting and newcomer honors were led by “Aladdin,” with Jung Won-young winning Supporting Actor for his role as Genie and Lee Sung-kyung receiving the Rookie Actress award for her debut performance. The Rookie Actor award was presented to Kang Byung-hoon for his role in “Bare the Musical.”
Creative awards included Best Direction for Oh Kyung-taek for “The Gashinas,” with Best Script awarded to Kim Ha-jin for the same production. The Best Composition award went to Lee Sun-young for “Laika.”
The 2026 ceremony coincided with the 60th year of Korean musical theater and highlighted award recipients spanning performance, composition, direction, and production categories.
