Korean entertainment giant CJ ENM celebrated the creative forces behind six globally successful original IPs at its 2026 Visionary Awards ceremony on Feb. 10 at the CJ ENM Center in Seoul’s Mapo-gu district.
The event honored visionaries from U.S. series “Severance” and Korean productions “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty,” “Boys II Planet,” “Our Unwritten Seoul” and “Study Group,” along with the Japanese adaptation of “Marry My Husband” – marking CJ ENM’s continued expansion into international co-productions and overseas projects. The ceremony drew particular attention for bringing together creators from both Korean productions and global collaborations, including “Severance” producer Nicholas Weinstock and Japanese actor Takeru Satoh from “Marry My Husband.”
Since 2020, CJ ENM has designated as “Visionaries” the creators and projects that have introduced fresh creative visions to the entertainment industry and expanded their cultural footprint globally through distinctive originality. This year’s selections focused on characters as a core driver of IP competitiveness, recognizing the actors who portrayed beloved characters alongside the directors, producers and writers who brought them to life.
The awards venue was designed around the theme of an “Originality Construction Site,” conceived as a space for building a House of Inspiration – symbolizing a place where one story does not end but a new one begins.
Weinstock praised the ceremony’s focus on creative ambition over commercial metrics. “I’m very excited about the commitment that many of us in this room are making to telling great and bold stories,” he said. “I think there’s a reason CJ ENM is giving the Visionary Award rather than a quarterly revenues award. I believe it’s a company devoted to boldness and creativity.” The producer also expressed admiration for presenter Youn Yuh-jung, a 2021 Visionary and the first Korean actor to receive an Academy Award. “I watched ‘Minari’ three times in a row just to see her performance,” Weinstock said.
Takeru Satoh reflected on character development. “As actors, we are constantly thinking about how to make the roles we play more compelling and more loved by the audiences,” he said. “It’s a great honor to be here with all of you professionals who create these unforgettable characters.”
Park Min Young from “Marry My Husband” described the project as transformative. “This project was like a second chance in my life. While it tells a Korean story, I learned that sincerity resonates with audiences worldwide,” she said.
From “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty,” Lim YoonA shared her connection to her character. “It was a great joy to portray Yeon Ji-young, a strong and wise character who never loses her dream, no matter the circumstances,” she said.
In a congratulatory video message, CJ Group vice chair Miky Lee emphasized the power of storytelling. “Technology has brought the world closer than ever, but it is stories that truly bring people together,” she said. “CJ ENM will be your partner in this journey.”
CJ ENM CEO Yoon Sang-hyun added: “The most compelling stories begin with characters shaped together by creators and artists. We will expand Onlyone IPs, stories that become life-defining works for audiences worldwide and build a new ecosystem for the global cultural business.”