Top musical stars compete for best actor honors at Korea Musical Awards

In a highly competitive selection process this year, musical stars Kim Jun-su, Cho Seung-woo, Choi Jae-rim, Hong Kwang-ho and Park Kang-hyun were nominated for the best actor award at the 8th Korea Musical Awards.

The Korea Musical Theatre Association unveiled the final nominees for the awards during a press conference held at Seoul’s Hongik Art Center, on Monday.

In the grand prize, "22 Years and 2 Months," "The Devil: Eden,” “The Secret Garden,” “Sun-sin” and "SheStars!” have been nominated. The award for the grand prize is presented to an original production that premiered during the year regardless of production size.

The best musical of the year award, irrespective of production size, sees fierce competition in two subcategories. For productions with 400 seats or more, "Memphis," "Moulin Rouge!," "Six the Musical," "The Phantom of the Opera" and "If/Then" are vying for the spot. In the under-400 seats category, "L’Art Reste," "The Secret Garden," "Wasted," "Inside William" and "Pann" are in contention.

The battle for the best actor award is fierce, with musical stars Kim Jun-su (“Death Note”), Park Kang-hyun (“Memphis”), Cho Seung-woo and Choi Jae-rim (“The Phantom of the Opera”) and Hong Kwang-ho (“Moulin Rouge!”) competing for the accolade.

Nominees for the best actress category are Min Kyoung-ah (“Red Book”), Ivy (“Moulin Rouge!”), Yuria (“Memphis”), Lee Ja-ram (“Sun-sin”) and Jeong Sun-ah (“If/Then”).

In the best new actor category, the spotlight falls on Park Bo-gum, making his debut in the musical realm with "Let Me Fly." He faces competition from Kim Joo-taek and Hwang Gun-ha (“The Phantom of the Opera”), Park Sang-hyeok (“The Brothers Karamazov”), and Yoon Seok-ho (“Cinderella Homme”).

The best new actress nominees include Kim Se-young (“Swag Age: Shout Out, Joseon!!”), Ryu In-a (“Les Miserables”), Park Sae-him (“Interview”), Sohn Ji-soo and Song Eun-hye (“The Phantom of the Opera”).

In his last season playing in "Rent," Kim Ho-young earned a nomination for best supporting actor alongside Kim Dae-jong (“Red Book”), pansori singer Kim Jun-soo (“Gone Tomorrow”), Seo Kyung-Soo (“Death Note”) and Ahn Jee-hwan (“Let Me Fly”).

In the best supporting actress category, Na Ha-na (“Let Me Fly”), Lee Arumsoul (“If/Then”), Chang Eun-ah (“Death Note”), Cho Jung-eun (“Les Miserables”), and Choi Jung-won (“Memphis”) vie for recognition.

Additionally, awards such as ensemble, producer, direction and playwriting will honor exceptional artists, while special categories like lifetime achievement and family musicals will also be acknowledged.

Leading the pack with nominations in 10 categories, "Memphis" is poised to compete for the top honor, best actor and best supporting actress, among others.

Established in 2016, the nation’s musical awards select winners each year through a collective decision of experts and the general public voting online.

The 8th Korea Musical Awards ceremony will be held at Kyung Hee University Grand Peace Palace, on Jan. 15.