Grand Bell Awards
The Grand Bell Awards, also known as the Daejong Film Awards, are annual awards presented for excellence in film in South Korea. The Grand Bell Awards retains prestige as the oldest continuous film awards held in South Korea, and has been called the Korean equivalent of the American Academy Awards.
Since 2025, the trademark of the Grand Bell Awards officially belong to the Korea Film Planning Producers Association.
History
The Grand Bell Awards ceremony has been hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Information since its inception in 1962. The awards were suspended for a few years starting in 1969 but were revived in 1972 following the establishment of the Korea Motion Picture Promotion Association, aiming to revitalize the then-stagnant South Korean film industry.Over time, however, the Korean Film Industry Association, which managed the awards, became plagued by extravagant spending and frequent internal conflicts. This turmoil led to a decline in the ceremony’s credibility and authority. The situation culminated during the 52nd ceremony in 2015, when all nominees for Best Actor and Best Actress publicly announced they would boycott the event.
In 2022, the Grand Bell Awards Normalization Promotion Committee, led by director Lee Jang-ho and chairman Yang Yoon-ho, was established to initiate reforms aimed at restoring the awards’ reputation. The 59th ceremony took place on November 15, 2023, and was co-hosted for the first time by the Gyeonggi Arts Center at its Grand Theater and Convention Hall. The event was hosted by Cha In-pyo and Jang Do-yeon.
In December 2023, the Federation of Korean Filmmakers, which hosted the Awards, was declared bankrupt by the Seoul Bankruptcy Court. As a result, the 60th ceremony was canceled. In November 2024, the trademark rights to the Daejong Film Festival were put up for sale, creating uncertainty about the future of the awards.
Subsequently, in 2025, the trademark and operational rights of the Grand Bell Awards were officially transferred to the Korea Film Planning Producers Association, marking a new phase for the event.