Actress Hits 15% Ratings but Gets Snubbed for Baeksang Nomination—What Happened?

The nominees for the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards have been announced, and one notable absence has caught attention: Lim Ji-yeon, the lead actress of the popular JTBC drama ‘The Tale of Lady Ok’.

Many netizens expressed disappointment after Lim was excluded from the Best Actress nominees in the television category, following the announcement of the nominees.

On April 7, the Baeksang Arts Awards official website and social media accounts revealed the nominees for the 2024 awards, which include categories for television, film, and theater. From this year, the 'TV category' has been renamed to 'Broadcast category', now encompassing terrestrial networks, cable, satellite channels, OTT platforms, and web content.

The nominees for Best Actress in a Broadcast Drama for content aired between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025, include Go Minsi for Netflix’s ‘The Frog’, Kim Tae-ri for tvN’s ‘Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born’, Kim Hye-yoon for tvN’s ‘Lovely Runner’, IU for Netflix’s ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’, and Jang Nara for SBS’s ‘Good Partner’. However, despite receiving critical acclaim for her performance in ‘The Tale of Lady Ok’, Lim Ji-yeon was notably absent from the list.

Although ‘The Tale of Lady Ok’ earned nominations for Best Drama, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor, and Best New Actor, the lead actress, Lim Ji-yeon, was not among the contenders for Best Actress.

The drama concluded in January with impressive viewership, recording a nationwide rating of 13.6% and 14.0% in the Seoul metropolitan area, setting a new personal best for the show. The peak viewership in Seoul soared to 15.1%, making it the top-rated drama across all channels at that moment. While it began with a modest 4.2% rating, it finished with a high 13.6% rating, closing out on a strong note.

Lim Ji-yeon’s portrayal of Ok Tae-young, a proactive female character from the Joseon era who fights for the underprivileged, garnered significant support and sympathy from viewers. The drama reached the top spot in TV-OTT overall buzz rankings just two weeks after its premiere and became a weekend drama powerhouse. It also ranked 1st in viewer preferences in December 2024 and 2nd in January 2025 in the ‘Most Liked Broadcast Programs by Koreans’, proving it was a well-made hit.

One netizen commented, "Lim Ji-yeon’s acting was fantastic, and the drama did well. How is she not nominated?" Another said, "Not even nominated? This makes no sense." Some voiced frustration, with one stating, "Lim Ji-yeon being left out is just ridiculous. It’s clear they weren’t going to give her the award from the start..."

Although Lim Ji-yeon was not nominated in the broadcast category, she did secure a Best Supporting Actress nomination in the Film Category for her role in the movie ‘Revolver’.

Additionally, viewers expressed disappointment that Park Shin-hye from SBS’s ‘Judge From Hell’ was also left off the list of nominees.

Meanwhile, the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards with Gucci will take place on May 5 at 8:00 PM at the COEX D Hall in Gangnam, Seoul. With stars from popular shows like IU and Park Bo-gum from ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’, and Kim Hye-yoon and Byeon Woo-seok from ‘Lovely Runner’, anticipation for the awards ceremony is running high.

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