Actor Ahn Hyo-seop Donates $15,000 Prize After Winning 2025 Beautiful Artist Award
Canadian-Korean actor Ahn Hyo-seop received the New Artist Award at the 15th Beautiful Artist Awards on October 23, 2025, and immediately pledged to donate the entire 20 million won ($15,000) prize to charity.
The ceremony, held at Stage28 in Seoul's Gangdong district, recognized Ahn's breakout year across multiple platforms. His agency, The Present Company, confirmed the donation will support social causes, continuing the actor's track record of charitable giving.
Recognition for Global Impact
The Shin Youngkyun Arts and Culture Foundation established the Beautiful Artist Awards in 2011 to honor artists who demonstrate both professional excellence and positive social influence across film, theater, and performing arts.
The selection committee cited Ahn's achievements in two major 2025 releases. In July, he starred as Kim Dok-ja in "Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy," a big-budget fantasy film adaptation that marked his theatrical debut. The committee noted his "dense performance and delicate emotional range" in the challenging lead role.
More significantly, Ahn voiced Jinu in Netflix's animated film "K-Pop Demon Hunters," which premiered in June and became the platform's most-watched original film with 325 million views. The production showcased his first English-language voice work and introduced him to global audiences.
"Through his voice acting as Jin-woo in 'K-Pop Demon Hunters,' he has captured worldwide attention and is recognized as representing Korean content on the global stage," the committee stated.
Actor's Response Emphasizes Sincerity
During his acceptance speech, Ahn reflected on the connection between his contrasting 2025 projects.
"'Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy' and 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' are completely different stories, but they connect through sincerity," he said. "Acting is trying to understand the world-experiencing someone's pain, joy, and emotions as best as we can. A truthful heart transcends language."
He added: "I still have much to learn. I want to remain humble and become a beautiful artist. Thank you."
Pattern of Philanthropy
This donation aligns with Ahn's established charitable activities:
- September 2020: Donated 160,000 face masks (worth 100 million won) to the National Fire Agency during COVID-19
- August 2022: Contributed 50 million won for flood disaster relief
- October 2023: Volunteered voice work for an audio guide at a disabled artists exhibition
- May 2024: Donated 50 million won to UNICEF for Children's Day
Career Trajectory
Born in Seoul and raised in Toronto from age seven, the 30-year-old actor returned to South Korea at 17 to pursue entertainment. After training at JYP Entertainment, he debuted in acting roles and gained recognition through hit dramas including "Dr. Romantic 2" (2020), "Business Proposal" (2022), and "Dr. Romantic 3" (2023).
His 2025 expansion into film and voice acting demonstrates growing versatility. He is set to return to romantic comedy with the 2026 drama "Sold Out Today."
Other 2025 Beautiful Artist Award recipients included director Park Chan-wook (Film Artist Award), singer Insooni (Good Deeds Award), actress Kwak Ji-sook (Theater Artist Award), and Hwang Ki-sung (Achievement Artist Award).
