Jang Nara Wins Top Honor at 2024 SBS Acting Awards

On December 21, the 2024 SBS Acting Awards aired, with Jang Nara taking home the prestigious Grand Prize for her role as divorce lawyer Cha Eun-kyung in the hit drama Good Partner (굿파트너). This marks a significant milestone in her 23-year career.

Jang expressed her gratitude, stating, "I feel like I've experienced amazing things in my life through SBS. As the title suggests, I was able to touch the trophy thanks to my good partners," thanking the entire cast and crew of Good Partner. She particularly acknowledged her co-star Nam Ji-hyun, saying, "Nam Ji-hyun was a blessing for both the drama and me. I could do so much because of her."

Jang Nara, who gained fame from the drama My Lovely Sam-soon (명랑소녀 성공기), has consistently delivered strong performances, with Good Partner achieving the highest viewership ratings for SBS dramas this year at 18.7%.

Park Shin-hye, who starred in Hellbound Judge (지옥에서 온 판사), received the Director's Award, chosen by the drama's producers. Reflecting on her journey, she recalled winning the Best New Actress award 21 years ago at the SBS Acting Awards and expressed her appreciation for the support she received for her transformation. She also thanked her husband, Choi Tae-joon, during her speech.

In the mini-series genre/action category, the Best Actor award went to Ahn Bo-hyun for Reborn Rich (재벌X형사) and Jeon Mi-do for Connection (커넥션). The Best Actor award in the seasonal drama category was shared by Kim Nam-gil and Lee Ha-nee for Hot Blooded Priest 2 (열혈사제2). In the mini-series human/fantasy category, Kim Jae-young and Nam Ji-hyun were recognized for their performances in Hellbound Judge and Good Partner, respectively.

Connection was awarded Drama of the Year, with director Kim Moon-kyu attributing the success to the cast and writers. Veteran actress Kim Young-ok received a special award for her contributions to SBS's reputation as a drama powerhouse.

The Best Couple award went to Park Shin-hye and Kim Jae-young for their chemistry in Hellbound Judge, while the Best Performance award was shared by Lee Kyu-han and Han Jae-i for their roles in Hellbound Judge and Good Partner, respectively. The Best Teamwork award went to the four lawyers from Good Partner, while the Scene Stealer award was jointly awarded to Go Gyu-pil and Ahn Chang-hwan from Hot Blooded Priest 2.

In the supporting actor category, Kwon Yul, Kim Kyung-nam, Yoon Sa-bong, and Jung Yoo-min from Connection were honored in the mini-series genre/action category. Seo Hyun-woo and Shim Yi-young won in the seasonal drama category, while Kim In-kwon, Ji Seung-hyun, Kim Jae-hwa, and Kim Hye-hwa from Hellbound Judge shared the award in the mini-series human/fantasy category.

The Youth Acting Award went to Yuna from Good Partner and Moon Woo-jin from Hot Blooded Priest 2. The Rookie Acting Award, which is only given once in a lifetime, was awarded to Kang Sang-joon, Kim Shin-bi, Seo Bum-joon, Kim Min-joo, and Choi Yoo-joo.

The event featured performances from dance team Lachika, girl group (G)I-DLE, and a band stage from the cast of the upcoming 2025 drama Spring of Four Seasons (사계의 봄).

Additionally, teasers for eight new dramas set to air in 2025 were revealed, including My Perfect Secretary (나의 완벽한 비서) starring Han Ji-min and Lee Joon-hyuk, and Treasure Island (보물섬) featuring Park Hyung-sik and Heo Jun-ho.

The broadcast achieved a peak rating of 5.1%, with a viewership rating of 3.7% in the metropolitan area and 1.8% among the 2049 demographic, according to Nielsen Korea.