The late Ahn Sung-ki was posthumously honored at the Beautiful Artist Awards hosted by the Shin Young-kyun Arts and Culture Foundation, an organization where he served as chairman for 16 years during his lifetime.
The 16th Beautiful Artist Awards ceremony took place on October 15 at 4:00 PM at Stage 28 in Godeok-dong, Gangdong-gu, Seoul.
This year, the Good People Artist Award went to the late actor Ahn Sung-ki, the Film Artist Award to actor Kim Mu-yeol, the Performing Arts Award to actor Park Geun-hyung, the Lifetime Achievement Award to cinematographer Lee Seok-ki, and the New Artist Award to director Kim Do-young. Each honoree was presented with a plaque and 20 million won, totaling 100 million won in prize money.
Marking its 16th edition this year, the Beautiful Artist Awards were inaugurated in 2011 alongside the establishment of the foundation. Reflecting changing times, the foundation has highlighted the accomplishments of artists active across diverse disciplines, including expanding the scope of the Film Artist Award to cover television series and broadening the Theater Artist Award into the Performing Arts Award.
Meanwhile, approximately 200 figures from the cultural and arts communities and various sectors attended the ceremony to grace the occasion, including the foundation's founder and veteran actor, Honorary Chairman Shin Young-kyun, along with Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young, Yu In-chon, Kim Dong-ho, Chung Ji-young, Bae Chang-ho, Sohn Sook, Park Chan-wook, Lee Young-ae, Jung Joon-ho, Kim Soo-chul, and Park Chan-ho.
The Good People Artist Award was bestowed upon the late actor Ahn Sung-ki, who served as the inaugural chairman of the Shin Young-kyun Arts and Culture Foundation. Having debuted as a child actor and devoted his life to Korean cinema, Ahn earned nationwide love through numerous productions and commanded profound respect both inside and outside the film industry for his humble and sincere character.
In particular, he consistently put the values of sharing and service into practice by engaging in various social contribution activities and supporting junior filmmakers over a long period. Honoring the late actor's warm and noble life, which was beloved for his lifelong humility and integrity while fostering the development of Korean cinema, the foundation presented him with the Good People Artist Award. The late actor's second son, Ahn Philip, attended the ceremony to accept the award on his behalf.
Actor Kim Mu-yeol, recipient of this year's Film Artist Award, has shown multifaceted acting prowess and outstanding character transformation across films and series. In particular, he left a deep impression on numerous viewers in the Netflix series "Teach You a Lesson" by portraying an inspector who takes the side of victims in a broken educational system. High praise was given to his remarkable acting caliber and achievements demonstrated through the work.
Actor Park Geun-hyung, who received the Performing Arts Award, is a premier veteran actor in Korean performing arts who has pursued an extensive acting career centered on the stage while spanning films and television dramas for decades. Notably, he drew applause from audiences with his impassioned performance playing the lead in "The Merchant of Venice." He was lauded for the artistic achievements accumulated over his lengthy career and for setting an exemplary model for junior artists.
Cinematographer Lee Seok-ki, who took home the Lifetime Achievement Award, launched his career during the renaissance of Korean cinema between the 1960s and 1980s as the director of photography for director Lee Man-hee's "Legend of Ssarigol." He later expanded his creative scope into directing films such as "The Story of Sung Ri-su-il" and "Camels Don't Cry Alone," leaving behind a filmography of roughly 180 works. The foundation highly commended director Lee's substantial legacy, passion, and lifelong contributions to the advancement of Korean cinema.
Director Kim Do-young, recipient of the New Artist Award, has opened new possibilities for Korean cinema while earning recognition for her delicate directing and artistic merit through films such as "Kim Ji-young, Born 1982," "Once We Were Us," and "The Intern." Drawing on direction that attentively captures character emotions and relationships, she has garnered audience empathy and continues to build her own unique directorial vision grounded in her experience as an actor.
A hand-printing ceremony was also conducted at the event to commemorate the honorees' accomplishments. The handprints will be cast into bronze plaques and permanently installed in the plaza in front of Myungbo Art Hall in Jung-gu, Seoul.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)
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