The ENA drama The Scarecrow has achieved a remarkable feat by securing the highest number of nominations for the 5th Blue Dragon Series Awards.

The nominees, announced by the Blue Dragon Series Awards secretariat on July 1, were selected from dramas and variety shows released on domestic and international streaming platforms between June 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026.

Five titles have been nominated for Best Drama: Made in Korea, Yumi's Cells Season 3, You and Everything Else, The Legend of Kitchen Soldier, and The Scarecrow, officially kicking off the race for the top honor.

The Scarecrow earned the most nominations, totaling six categories including Best Drama, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Actress, and Best New Actor and Actress. However, while one of the drama's two leads, Park Hae-soo, is nominated for Best Actor, the absence of Kim Hee-jun from the acting nominations has raised some eyebrows.

Park Ji-hoon's series comeback, The Legend of Kitchen Soldier, followed closely with nominations in four categories (five total nominations), including Best Drama, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best New Actor. Having risen to stardom as a 16-million-ticket-selling actor with The King's Warden, Park Ji-hoon is now aiming for his first Best Actor win since his debut.

The Best Actor category features a fierce competition between Park Hae-soo (The Scarecrow), Park Ji-hoon (The Legend of Kitchen Soldier), Kim Seonho (Can This Love Be Translated?), Kim Woobin (Genie, Make a Wish), and Hyun Bin (Made in Korea). The Best Actress category is equally competitive, with nominations for Go Youn-jung (Can This Love Be Translated?), Kim Go-eun (You and Everything Else), Park Bo young (Gold Land), Park Ji-hyun (You and Everything Else), and Shin Hae Sun (The Art of Sarah).

Nominees for Best Supporting Actor include Yoon Kyungho (The Legend of Kitchen Soldier), Lee Kwang soo (Gold Land), Lee Sang-yi (The Legend of Kitchen Soldier), Jung Moon-sung (The Scarecrow), and Jin Sun-kyu (Aema). The Best Supporting Actress category features Kwak Sun-young (The Scarecrow), Moon Jung-hee (Gold Land), Park Bo-kyung (The Art of Sarah), Seo Eun-su (Made in Korea), and Im Soo-jung (Low Life) vying for the trophy.

The Best New Actor category, a once-in-a-lifetime honor, features Kim Jae-won (Yumi's Cells Season 3), Kim Jin-wook (Low Life), Baek Seon-ho (If Wishes Could Kill), Song Geon-hee (The Scarecrow), and Lee Hong-nae (The Legend of Kitchen Soldier). Meanwhile, the Best New Actress category includes Kim Min (Low Life), Bang Hyo-rin (Aema), Seo Ji-hye (The Scarecrow), Arin (S-Line), and Jeon So-young (If Wishes Could Kill).

The variety show categories are just as star-studded. SCREWBALLS, Better Late Than Single, Jae-seok's B&B Rules!, Office Workers Season 2, and Culinary Class Wars Season 2 have been nominated for Best Variety Show.

The highly anticipated Best Male Entertainer category features nominations for Kim Won-hun (SNL Korea Season 8), Shin Dong-yeob (SNL Korea Season 8), Yu Jae-seok (Jae-seok's B&B Rules!), Lee Kwang soo (Jae-seok's B&B Rules!), and Joo Woo-jae (The Rival). The Best Female Entertainer category includes Kim Sook (The Rival), Lee Soo-ji (SNL Korea Season 8), Lee Eun-ji (Better Late Than Single), Jung Yi-rang (Sister's Cafe), and Ji Ye-eun (Jae-seok's B&B Rules!).

Nominees for Best New Male Entertainer include Kim Gyu-won (SNL Korea Season 8), Kim Seonho (Bonjour Bakery), Byeon Wooseok (Jae-seok's B&B Rules!), Car, the garden (Better Late Than Single), and Hu Deok-juk (Culinary Class Wars Season 2). The Best New Female Entertainer category features Kim Si-hyun (Culinary Class Wars Season 2), Kim Ye-won (EXchange 4), Shim Ja-yoon (Office Workers Season 2), Ahn Ju-mi (SNL Korea Season 8), and Mina-sue Choi (Single's Inferno Season 5).

Netizen voting to determine the final winners will take place from July 2 (Thursday) to July 30 (Thursday) via the voting platform Celeb Champ. The results of this vote will carry the same weight as one judge's vote.

The 5th Blue Dragon Series Awards will be held on July 31 (Friday) at 8:30 PM at Paradise City Chroma in Incheon and will be broadcast live on KBS 2TV. 

(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)