Massive Voting Scandal Hits Baeksang Awards: Macro Allegations Rock Female Popularity Race
The prestigious 61st Baeksang Arts Awards is facing unexpected controversy as allegations of macro manipulation surface in the ongoing Prism Popularity Award voting race, raising concerns about the fairness of the competition.
Baeksang Awards Faces Voting Controversy Amid Macro Manipulation Suspicions
Voting for the Prism Popularity Award officially opened at 12 PM KST on April 23 and is scheduled to run until 4 PM on May 2. A total of 35 male and 35 female nominees from both TV and film categories are vying for the award, with the highest vote-getter in each gender category winning the prize. Since the start of voting, a heated three-way competition in the female category has emerged between Kim Hye-yoon, Hyeri, and IU. However, fans and netizens have raised suspicions of irregularities, particularly after a video allegedly showing automatic macro voting was uploaded online.
Macros — software that automates repetitive actions — allow for repeated votes to be cast without manual input. Their suspected use has raised alarms, especially given the abnormal spike in vote numbers compared to previous years. For instance, Kim Hye-yoon currently leads with approximately 4.96 million votes, closely followed by Hyeri with 4.92 million votes, and IU trailing in third with around 3.19 million votes.
In stark contrast, Byeon Woo-seok, the leading male contender and Kim Hye-yoon’s co-star from Lovely Runner, has garnered just 1.54 million votes—less than a third of the female frontrunners’ totals. This disparity has fueled suspicions that unfair methods might be at play in the female category.
Netizens Question Fairness Amid Disparities and Past Precedents
This isn’t the first time a Korean awards show has faced such controversy. In 2022, the Asia Artist Awards (AAA) experienced a scandal when fraudulent votes led to the initial winner being replaced after verification. Similarly, the 2022 Mnet MAMA Awards also declared they would exclude votes confirmed as fraudulent.
Currently, suspicions of macro voting are not limited to a single fandom but have been raised against the supporters of all three leading contenders, Kim Hye-yoon, Hyeri, and IU. According to reports, Baeksang organizers are aware of the situation and have strengthened security measures to monitor suspicious voting activity.
As of now, Baeksang has not released an official statement regarding the controversy. Whether the organizers will take action to verify votes and potentially adjust the final results remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards, hosted by Shin Dong-yup, Suzy, and Park Bo-gum, will be held at COEX D Hall in Seoul on May 5 at 8 PM KST.