The 61st Baeksang Arts Awards wrapped up on Monday (May 5) with Netflix’s When Life Gives You Tangerines taking home four major wins. While the drama was the most awarded of the night, fans were stunned that IU, the heart and soul of the show, didn’t win a single award. Despite being nominated in both the Best Actress and Most Popular Actress categories, IU walked away empty-handed. For many, it was one of the biggest snubs in Baeksang history.

IU, also known as Lee Ji Eun, has long been one of South Korea’s most loved stars. With praised performances in dramas like My Mister, Hotel Del Luna, and now Tangerines, she has steadily grown as an actress after establishing herself as a successful soloist. Yet despite multiple Baeksang nominations over the years, her only wins remain in popularity categories, never for acting.

IU in When Life Gives You Tangerines| Credit: X

Now her fans, known as UENA, are asking her to draw a line. Just like she quietly stopped showing up at MAMA, fans want her to skip Baeksangs too.

Why IU doesn’t attend MAMA anymore

It started in 2014. That year, IU had one of the strongest runs of her career. She released A Flower Bookmark, a cover album that performed extremely well. Her collaborations topped the charts, and Billboard named her the all-time leader of its K-pop Hot 100. Many felt that 2014 was finally IU’s year to win the Daesang, the grand prize, at the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA).

But instead of the big win fans hoped for, IU was given a lifetime achievement award. She was all of 20 years old at the time. The award is usually given to artists nearing the end of their careers, not someone in her prime. It felt more like a consolation than true recognition.

Since then, IU has never returned to MAMA. While she has won awards like Best Female Artist, she has kept her distance.

Fans want IU to treat Baeksang the same way

After this year’s Baeksang outcome, IU’s fans are speaking up. Many feel it was yet another award show using her name and popularity without honoring her work. She was front and center in When Life Gives You Tangerines, a show that swept four awards that night, but she received none. Fans had hoped for either Best Actress or the Daesang, but both went to others. Kim Tae Ri won Best Actress for Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born, and Culinary Class Wars took the grand prize. Kim Hye Yoon of Lovely Runner was meanwhile awarded the Popularity Award.

What made it worse for fans was how present IU was throughout the event. She was shown in multiple cutaways, smiling and clapping, only to walk away with nothing. Many fans called it humiliating and are now asking her to step away from Baeksangs altogether.

“I hope IU treats Baeksang the same way she treats Mama! They want to give the award to any actress every year except IU! Is it because she’s the only idol here? She has incredibly successful works both globally and domestically, so why hasn’t she won any awards all these years?” one user wrote.

Another fan wrote, “IU walking out empty-handed at the Baeksang Awards baffles me; this woman played two roles and managed to execute them both perfectly. Literally the biggest snub of the century, I’m at a loss for words.”

IU walking out empty handed at the baeksang awards baffles me, this woman played two roles and managed to execute them both perfectly. Literally the biggest snub of the century, I’m at a loss of words. #WhenLifeGivesYouTangerines pic.twitter.com/ITM68oTT7r

— rara♡☆ (@wookjaes) May 5, 2025

A third wrote, “Korean award shows are a joke anyway; let’s get IU that best actress award more prestigious than any Baeksang or Daesang. Let’s give her as an amazing actress internationally.”

Korean award shows are a joke anyway, let’s get IU that best actress more prestigious than any baeksang or daesang let’s give her as an amazing actress internationally pic.twitter.com/ZXTWo3Or7K

— archive (@nini_iu) May 5, 2025

“Baeksang judges didn’t know about the emotion the public remembers,” one user wrote.

Baeksang judges didn’t know about the emotion the public remembers.https://t.co/unfx3EhkZu pic.twitter.com/qR2rWTkG8m

— Filipe (@filipe910910) May 6, 2025

IU played a dual role in When Life Gives You Tangerines, portraying both Oh Ae Sun, the central female lead, and her daughter, Yang Geum Myeong. The drama offered an emotional look at life’s struggles and how love from a partner and family can help you find comfort through it all.

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