The 46th Blue Dragon Film Awards unveiled its nominees on October 21, 2025, setting up a tightly contested race that spotlights both blockbuster scale and auteur craft. Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice dominates the field with 12 nominations, ahead of The Ugly, Harbin, and crowd-pleasers like My Daughter Is a Zombie. The ceremony is set for November 19, 2025, at KBS Hall (Yeouido, Seoul), hosted by Han Ji-min and Lee Je-hoon, with a live broadcast on KBS. 

Key facts at a glance

• Ceremony: Nov 19, 2025 • Venue: KBS Hall • Hosts: Han Ji-min, Lee Je-hoon. 

• Most nominations: No Other Choice (12). 

• Nominees announced: Oct 21, 2025. 

Headline categories (highlights)

• Best Picture: No Other Choice; The Ugly; My Daughter Is a Zombie; The Old Woman With the Knife; Harbin. 

• Best Director: Park Chan-wook (No Other Choice); Min Kyu-dong (The Old Woman With the Knife); Yeon Sang-ho (The Ugly); Woo Min-ho (Harbin); Pil Gam-seong (My Daughter Is a Zombie).

• Best Actor: Park Jung-min (The Ugly); Lee Byung-hun (No Other Choice); Sul Kyung-gu (A Normal Family); Jo Jung-suk (My Daughter Is a Zombie); Hyun Bin (Harbin). 

• Best Actress: Son Ye-jin (No Other Choice); Song Hye-kyo (Dark Nuns); Lee Jae-in (Hi-Five); Lee Hye-young (The Old Woman With the Knife); Lim Yoona (Pretty Crazy). 

• Rising faces: Park Jinyoung (GOT7) and Ahn Hyo-seop headline Best New Actor; Kim Do-yeon (Weki Meki) and Hong Ye-ji make the Best New Actress slate.

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Reading the field: trends & talking points

1. Auteur prestige meets mainstream muscle. With Park Chan-wook atop the nominations and Yeon Sang-ho in the mix, jury tastes align with box-office relevance—a Blue Dragon hallmark. 

2. Star power across eras. Veterans Lee Byung-hun and Sul Kyung-gu square off while marquee names Son Ye-jin, Song Hye-kyo, and Hyun Bin anchor the acting races—fuel for ratings and red-carpet buzz on Nov 19. 

3. Idol-to-actor pipeline stays hot. Park Jinyoung (GOT7) and Lim Yoona (Girls’ Generation) land competitive nods, underscoring how idol-born talent now regularly penetrates film’s most prestigious shortlist. 

4. Genre spread is unusually wide. From historical epic (Harbin) to action-thriller (The Old Woman With the Knife) and horror-comedy (My Daughter Is a Zombie), the categories reflect a robust commercial year. 

Full-list sources to embed/credit on your blog

For readers who want every category, Soompi and ZAPZEE carry the complete nomination lists, while Chosun/OSEN confirm No Other Choice as the leader with 12. These are ideal for inline citation or a “Further Reading” box. 

What to watch on ceremony night

• Best Picture/Director split? If Yeon Sang-ho or Min Kyu-dong sneaks Best Director while No Other Choice takes Best Picture, expect a narrative about Korea’s evolving genre prestige. 

• Best Actress showdown. A potential three-way media magnet: Son Ye-jin vs. Song Hye-kyo vs. Lim Yoona. 

• Newcomer momentum. If Park Jinyoung converts a New Actor nod into a win, it could shape 2026 casting trends for idol-actors. 

When & how to watch

KBS will broadcast the ceremony live from KBS Hall on Nov 19, 2025, with simultaneous online options typically provided. Check week-of details via KBS and Blue Dragon channels.