The 46th Blue Dragon Film Awards concluded recently, making history as the first time a married couple secured both top acting honours in the same ceremony. Hyun Bin was crowned Best Actor for his role in Harbin, while his wife, Son Ye-jin, claimed Best Actress for Guilty Choice. This unprecedented sweep immediately became the main headline, but the celebration quickly turned controversial, prompting the organizing committee to release detailed voting data to assure the public of the awards’ impartiality.

Following the event, both Korean media and online commentators sharply questioned the results, suggesting the wins were motivated more by a desire to create buzz than merit. Critics pointed to Son Ye-jin’s allegedly limited screen time in Guilty Choice and Hyun Bin’s performance being deemed less impactful than those of other nominees. The ensuing backlash accused the prestigious ceremony of sacrificing credibility to promote the celebrity couple, likening the awards night to a “private wedding reception.”

Rigorous Voting Breakdown Reveals Close Contests

Responding directly to claims of a predetermined outcome, the Blue Dragon Awards judging panel released the precise vote counts for the highly scrutinized Best Actor and Best Actress categories. The results showed both races were remarkably tight, particularly in the final rounds.

In the Best Actress contest, the initial votes were distributed across five nominees:

• Song Hye-kyo (Exorcist Black Nun): 0 votes
• YoonA (My Neighbor is a Demon): 1 vote
• Lee Jae-in (Supernatural Strike): 2 votes
• Lee Hye-young (Virgin Killer): 3 votes
• Son Ye-jin (Guilty Choice): 3 votes

After eliminating the three lowest vote-getters, a second round pitted Son Ye-jin against veteran actress Lee Hye-young. Son Ye-jin ultimately prevailed with a score of 6 to 3. The judges specifically praised Son Ye-jin for her nuanced, groundbreaking portrayal in Guilty Choice, noting that her performance was crucial in advancing the plot and enhancing Lee Byung-hun’s storyline.

Hyun Bin Narrows Gap in Final Vote

The Best Actor category was equally competitive, with Hyun Bin securing his win through a dramatic comeback in the final ballot. The initial voting results were as follows:

• Sol Kyung-gu (Conscience Storm): 0 votes
• Lee Byung-hun (Guilty Choice): 1 vote
• Jo Jung-suk (Taming My Zombie Daughter): 1 vote
• Park Jeong-min (The Ugly Woman): 4 votes
• Hyun Bin (Harbin): 3 votes

After the bottom three were removed, the head-to-head final round saw Hyun Bin edge out Park Jeong-min, securing the trophy with 5 votes against Park’s 4. The consensus among the judges was that Hyun Bin displayed a powerful, commanding presence from the very first frame of Harbin, a strength that carried the entire narrative.

The publication of this detailed voting data, a rare move for the awards committee, serves as a direct effort to restore public trust and demonstrate the rigorous and confidential process behind the final selections. While the controversy highlights the intensely scrutinized nature of high-profile entertainment awards, the judges maintain that their decisions reflect careful consideration of each performance’s artistic merit and cinematic impact, irrespective of the winners’ personal relationship. This unprecedented event is likely to be discussed for years, both for its historic outcome and the organizational transparency it necessitated.