The 2021 Baeksang Arts Award nominations came out five days ago but I didn’t have a chance to write about it since the news was overshadowed by the hullabaloo that was the production of MBC drama Time and things surrounding it. This year’s nominations were solid but still plenty to discuss especially with real life scandal with one nominee. The Best Drama category has Beyond Evil, It’s Okay to Not be Okay, Flower of Evil, Extracurricular, and My Unfamiliar Family. I think it goes to Beyond Evil as It’s Okay is now tied up with Seo Ye Ji‘s scandal, so she can kiss her Best Actress chances goodbye as well. I loved Kim Soo Hyun’s performance but the Best Actor nomination will go to Shin Ha Kyun unless he wins the Daesang (high chance) then I think Lee Jun Ki is long overdue but both Uhm Ki Joon and Song Joong Ki could be the dark horse here. Like I said, a murderer’s row of nominees, and the same in the Best Supporting Actor category.

Anyone can win and deserve it, but Oh Jung Se won last year for When the Camellia Blooms so he’s out this year, Kim Sun Ho was wonderful in Start Up but the drama feels too light, so it’s really a three way race between Park Hee Joon, Kim Ji Hoon, and Choi Dae Hoon. The Best Actress award is going to Kim So Yeon, and Shin Hye Sun could have given her a real run for the money but for the controversy around Queen Cheorin distortion of history stuff. I find the nomination for Kim So Hyun here and Na In Woo for Best New Actor rewards for their hard work in River Where the Moon Rises moreso than actually a nomination worthy performance. I think Moon Chae Won was robbed of her Best Actress nod this year as was Yeo Jin Gu not getting a Best Supporting Actor nom. As for Best Supporting Actress, it’s probably Yeom Hye Ran winning and K-ent is also talking about how the drama and male lead Jo Byung Gyu didn’t get noms after his bullying controversy when earlier he was seen as a lock for a nom.