The Korea Musical Awards () was a South Korean awards ceremony for musical theater, hosted annually by Sports Chosun. Established in 1995, it ran for 19 ceremonies, with its final event held in 2013. Typically held in late October, the awards recognized musical works performed and actors who appeared in those works from October of the previous year to September of the current year. The 20th ceremony, planned for 2014, was canceled due to organizational circumstances, and the awards were subsequently permanently abolished due to budget shortages.
The Korea Musical Awards emerged from a growing public fascination with musical theater in South Korea. Previously, musicals were often relegated to subcategories within broader play awards. The dedicated ceremony, spearheaded by reporter Park Yong-jae as part of the "Watching Musicals" initiative, aimed to distinctly define and foster the development of the genre. The inaugural event set a significant precedent by combining the awards ceremony with a celebratory musical concert, even pausing performances at the Munye Theater for a day to host the event, underscoring its importance to the industry.
The awards' core mission was to popularize musicals and revitalize original Korean productions. Consequently, they prioritized local works for major categories such as the Grand Prize, Best Composition, and Best Script. While acknowledging the increasing market influence of licensed international musicals in the 2000sâÂÂhighlighted by the success of The Phantom of the Opera in 2002âÂÂthe awards adapted by introducing the "Best International Musical" category. This annual festival served as a comprehensive overview of the year's musical landscape, engaging the entire musical community through its gala show, which was broadcast with a time delay. The Korea Musical Awards ran for 19 editions, concluding in 2013.
The 17th Korea Musical Awards ceremony was held on October 18, 2010, at 5:20 PM, at KBS Hall in Seoul.
The 17th Korea Musical Awards ceremony was held on Monday, November 14, 2011, at 5:20 PM, at Olympic Hall inside Olympic Park in Seoul, hosted by Lee Hyun-woo and SBS announcer Yoo Hye-young.
The 18th Korea Musical Awards ceremony was held on Monday, October 29, 2012, at 5:20 PM, at Olympic Hall inside Olympic Park in Seoul.
The 19th Korea Musical Awards ceremony was held on Monday, October 7, 2013, at 5:20 PM, at the Grand Peace Hall of Kyung Hee University in Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul.