BTS, aespa on CJ ENM's ‘2021 Visionary List’, honoring Korean entertainers
In the year 2020, the entertainment and lifestyle company, CJ ENM announced its first-ever list of 10 visionary celebrities. The list featured public figures who inspired the public around the world with pioneering achievements in Korean popular culture in the year 2020. The company, CJ ENM, have themselves led changes and innovations in the entertainment industry over the past few years with their use of big data analysis and recommendations from cultural critics and industry trend experts for artists and creators who have been active in all fields of Korean popular culture, including broadcasting, movies, music, and performances.
With the aim of highlighting the achievements of the significant people/groups from the Korean entertainment industry, CJ ENM's plans included promoting these "visionaries" for their talent and contributions every year. In the debut list from CJ ENM, writer Eun-hee Kim, Production Directer Kim Tae-ho, writer Park Ji-eun, the boy group BTS, film director Bong Joon-ho of ‘Parasite’ fame, girl group Blackpink, singer and actor Rain, actor Song Kang-ho, Production Director Shin Won-ho, and broadcaster Yoo Jae-seok were honored in the year 2020.
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CJ ENM announces 2021's 'Visionary List'
This year around, as the Korean culture grabs more and more global attention, CJ ENM has refined their list further and named the six important visionaries for 2021 on their second annual, ‘Visionary List.’ On November 24, CJ EMN listed six people/groups from the Korean Entertaiment Industry as the visionaries for the year 2021. The list includes actress Yoon Yeo-jeong who won an Academy Award (Oscar Award) for her appearance in the movie, ‘Minari’ and director Hwang Dong-hyuk from the global phenomenon Netflix series, ‘Squid Game.’
It also features broadcaster and ‘Running Man’ star, Yoo Jae-seok who was a part of 2020's list as well. Production Director Choi Jeong-nam earned a nod for his direction of Mnet’s ‘Street Woman Fighter’ for opening up the non-mainstream ‘street dance’ field to a broader public, creating a new reality entertainment category.
K-pop groups on 'Visionary list'
Alongside these public figures, there was also BTS, the K-pop boy band that has taken the world by storm, and monster rookie girl group, aespa. BTS appeared on the list for a second time alongside broadcaster Yoo Jae-seok. The second-time Grammy nominee BTS is taking over the world after winning not one but 4 Billboard Music Awards and winning the biggest title of ‘Artist of the Year’ at the 2021 American Music Awards, becoming the first K-pop act to conquer America.
And tespa (aespa) on the other hand is now proving to be a breakthrough artist by amassing a huge fanbase globally despite having a complex meta-universe concept and dominating Billboards charts within the first year of their debut. Both BTS and aespa are currently in the US with BTS gearing up for their first in-person concert in two years titled, ‘PTD on Stage’ (Permission to Dance on Stage) in LA while aespa on the other hand is making heads turn after their appearance at the American Thanksgiving festival parade as they promoted Olay’s concept of STEM Education for Women at the 2021 Macy’s Day Parade in NYC.