Controversy Surrounds KBS Entertainment Awards as 'Pinggego' Ceremony Gains Praise

The KBS Entertainment Awards, held on December 21, 2024, has sparked debate after comedian 변기수 (Byun Gi-soo) criticized the event for favoring singers, stating, "They only take care of singers." In contrast, the '2nd Pinggego Awards,' which took place on December 22, has received widespread acclaim for its unique approach. The ceremony, hosted on the YouTube channel '뜬뜬' (Tteun Tteun), quickly garnered over 1 million views within hours of its release, reaching 1.6 million views by 6 PM the same day, and even made it to the trending shorts list.

Despite the buzz, the '2nd Pinggego Awards' recognized only 10 winners. The top award went to actor 황정민 (Hwang Jung-min), while the Best Work award was given to the episode '돌아온 설연휴는 핑계고' (The Return of the Lunar New Year is an Excuse). The Best Actor award was claimed by 이동휘 (Lee Dong-hwi), and the Excellence Award went to 이상이 (Lee Sang-yi). The Popularity Awards were split between veteran stars 홍진경 (Hong Jin-kyung) and 지석진 (Ji Seok-jin) for the Veteran Popular Star category, while 샤이니 (SHINee) member 키 (Key) and actress 김고은 (Kim Go-eun) took home the Rising Popular Star award. The Newcomer Award was presented to actor 이성민 (Lee Sung-min), and a special award was given to 유재석 (Yoo Jae-suk) by the production team.

With 25 attendees at the 'Pinggego' ceremony, including Yoo Jae-suk, and a total of 77 participants throughout the year, the selection process was notably stringent. Yoo Jae-suk himself remarked on the fierce competition.

Coincidentally, the KBS Entertainment Awards the day before saw singer 이찬원 (Lee Chan-won) win the Grand Prize, celebrated by fellow entertainers and his fan club, '찬스' (Chance). However, the results in other categories have led to controversy. Byun Gi-soo took to social media to express his discontent over the lack of recognition for comedians, questioning why only singers were acknowledged.

Additionally, the awards for 조세호 (Cho Sae-ho) and 이준 (Lee Joon), both from the KBS 2TV show '1박 2일' (1 Night 2 Days), faced scrutiny due to the short duration of their participation in the program, which began filming in August. Cho Sae-ho's recent marriage in October further fueled criticism regarding the fairness of the awards.

The '2nd Pinggego Awards' also featured its own moments of favoritism, particularly when only 다비치 (Davichi) member 강민경 (Kang Min-kyung) attended as a nominee for the Newcomer Award. Veteran actor 차승원 (Cha Seung-won) humorously called out for her to receive an award, lightening the mood despite the competitive atmosphere. Yoo Jae-suk, however, firmly stated that this was not possible.

Last year's inaugural 'Pinggego Awards' also left some winners empty-handed, yet the bold decisions by the production team have continued to earn praise this year. The sentiment that the 'Pinggego' ceremony surpasses traditional broadcasting awards is likely to persist.