South Korean entertainment giant CJ ENM celebrated the creativity behind six globally successful original IPs at the 2026 Visionary Awards ceremony held on February 10 at the CJ ENM Center in Mapo-gu, Seoul.
The event celebrated the foresight of the American series “Discontinuity” and Korean productions “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty,” “Boys II Planet,” “Our Unwritten Soul,” and “Study Group,” as well as the Japanese version of “Marry My Husband,” and marked CJ ENM’s continued expansion into international co-productions and overseas projects. The ceremony was particularly notable for bringing together creators of both Korean productions and global collaborations, including “Disconnect” producer Nicholas Weinstock and Japanese actor Takeru Sato of “Marry My Husband.”
Starting in 2020, CJ ENM has recognized creators and projects as “Visionaries” who have introduced fresh creative vision to the entertainment industry and expanded their cultural footprint around the world through their unique originality. This year’s selection focused on character as the core driver of IP competitiveness, recognizing the directors, producers and screenwriters who brought beloved characters to life, as well as the actors who played them.
The award ceremony venue was designed with the theme of “Original Construction Site” as a space to build a house of inspiration, symbolizing a place where one story does not end, but a new one begins.
Weinstock praised the ceremony for focusing on creative ambitions rather than commercial metrics. “I’m so excited that so many of us in this room are trying to tell some great and bold stories,” he said. “I think there’s a reason why CJ ENM gives out the Visionary Award instead of the quarterly earnings award. I think CJ ENM is a company dedicated to boldness and creativity.” The producer also expressed his admiration for presenter Yoon Yoo-jung, who is the 2021 Visionary and the first Korean actor to win an Academy Award. “I watched ‘Minari’ three times in a row just to see her performance,” Weinstock said.
Takeru Sato looks back on creating his characters. “As actors, we are always thinking about how we can make the roles we play more appealing and more loved by the audience,” he said. “It is a great honor to be here with these professionals who create unforgettable characters.”
Park Min-young of “Marry My Husband” described the project as transformative. “This project was like a second chance in my life. Although this project is a Korean story, I learned that honesty resonates with audiences around the world,” she said.
Lim Yoon-ah of “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty” talked about her connection with her character. “I was very happy to play Yeon Ji-young, a strong and wise character who never loses her dreams no matter the situation,” she said.
In his congratulatory video message, CJ Group Vice Chairman Mikey Lee emphasized the power of storytelling. “Technology has brought the world closer together than ever before, but what truly brings people together is stories,” she said. “CJ ENM will be our partner on this journey.”
CJ ENM CEO Yoon Sang-hyun added, “The most captivating stories begin with characters shaped together by creators and artists. We are expanding the Onlyone IP, a story that becomes a life-defining work for audiences around the world, and building a new ecosystem for global cultural business.”
