‘Squid Game,’ ‘Parasite’ music director Jung Jae-il wins Chanel Next Prize

Music director Jung Jae-il of Netflix’s hit series “Squid Game” and Oscar-winning “Parasite“ was named as one of the 10 winners of the 2021 Chanel Next Prize, the high-end fashion house announced.

On Tuesday, Chanel announced its newly-established international award winners who have supported innovations in art and culture. Jung was recognized for opening up a new genre that fuses traditional Korean music with the sounds of western instruments, the French Luxury brand said.

Other winners of Chanel Next Prize include artist collective Keiken, video game developer Lual Mayen, choreographer Marlene Monteiro Freitas and film director Rungano Nyoni.

British actress Tilda Swinton, architect David Adjaye and Chinese artist Cao Fei served on the panel of judges. Nominations were made by an unnamed group of creatives “within the Chanel family,” said Yana Peel, the brand’s global arts and culture head.

Chanel launched its biennial award earlier this year, alongside the Chanel Culture Fund, as part of its efforts to support the arts and diverse cultural activities.

The award winners will receive 100,000 euros ($112,700) in prize money and will take part in mentoring and networking programs supported by the French luxury brand. They will also convene for the first time in April at the Venice Biennale, Italy’s prestigious multidisciplinary artistic showcase.

Jung is best known for the soundtracks he created for “Okja” and” Parasite,” both films directed by Bong Joon-ho. He also served as a music director on Netflix’s “Squid Game.”

The music director won the top prize in the TV Show/Limited Series category at the 2021 Hollywood Music in Media Awards. He was the first Korean to take the honor at the annual event.

As Hollywood Music in Media Awards nominees have historically been nominated for other international awards such as the Golden Globes, Oscars and Grammys, Jung may receive more nominations in the coming weeks and months.

By Jie Ye-eun (yeeun@heraldcorp.com)