Among different Korean content, variety shows are one of the best ways to introduce you to more Korean content and eventually make you fall in love with different Korean celebrities. Variety shows cater to different tastes through their varied concepts and formats, ensuring that there is a variety show for everyone. But falling in love with variety shows will be impossible without the hard carry of many Korean entertainers coming from different backgrounds, from different careers, who all work towards the enjoyment and laughter of many viewers.

Aside from the many idol entertainers who have been thriving in their careers both as idols and, eventually, well-loved entertainers, who receive awards for both, there are many Korean celebrities who are non-idols who shine even brightly in the spotlight, not only as an entertainer but in different industries and fields. Here are twenty of the many non-idol entertainers who won awards for different categories and fields!

1. Yoo Jae Suk

Entertainment Awards: Grand Prize (Daesang) from MBC, SBS, and KBS Entertainment Awards and Baeksang Arts Awards, Best Male Variety Performer from Baeksang Arts Awards, Favorite Comedian Awards from Nickelodeon Korea Kids' Choice Awards, Best Television MC from different award-giving bodies, Multiple Producer Awards from MBC Entertainment Awards, Entertainer of the Year and Top Excellence in Variety Awards from various networks and award-giving bodies, and more!

Non-Entertainment Awards: Rookie Award as Yoo San Seul from MBC (as a singer), 2020 Hot Icon as SSAK3 (as a group member), 2012 Prime Minister Award from Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards, 2018 Presidential Commendation from Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards

2. Jeon So Min

Entertainment Awards: 2017 Rookie Award for Variety from SBS Entertainment Awards, 2018 Top Excellence Award in Variety Category from SBS Entertainment Awards, 2020 Best Multi-Entertainer and 2021 Best Female Multi-Entertainer from Korea First Brand Awards

Non-entertainment Awards: 2013 Best New Actress from MBC Drama Awards, 2014 Drama Star Award from Asia Model Festival Awards, 2017 Popular Star Award from Asia Model Festival Awards, 2018 Female Commercial Model Award from Korea First Brand Awards, 2019 Actress Brand Loyalty Leader from Brand Customer Loyalty Awards, 2021 Best Actress in Drama Special/TV Cinema from KBS Drama Awards

3. Lee Seung Gi

Entertainment Awards: Multiple Popularity Awards from KBS and SBS Entertainment Awards, 2011 Top Excellence MC Award (Talk Show Division) from SBS Entertainment Awards, 2018 Grand Award (Daesang) from SBS Entertainment Awards and KBS Entertainment Awards, 2019 and 2021 Producer Award from SBS Entertainment Awards, 2021 Best Male Variety Performer from Baeksang Arts Awards, 2021 Entertainer of the Year Award from SBS Entertainment Awards

Non-entertainment Awards: 

Music: 2004 Best New Male Artist from MBC Best 10 Singers Music Festival, Mnet Asian Music Awards, SBS Music Awards, and Seoul Music Awards, Multiple Bonsang Awards from SBS Music Awards, Golden Disc Awards, and Seoul Music Awards, Multiple Best Ballad Awards from Mnet Asian Music Awards, Korea Entertainment Arts Awards, and Golden Disc Awards, and many more!
Acting: Multiple Top Excellence Awards for Actors from SBS, MBC, and KBS Drama Awards, Multiple Top 10 Stars Awards from SBS Drama Awards, Multiple Popularity Awards from all networks and other award-giving bodies, including Baeksang Arts Awards, and many more!   

4. IU

Entertainment Awards: 2010 Variety New Star Award from SBS Entertainment Awards, 2010 Best Teamwork Award from SBS Entertainment Awards

Non-entertainment Awards: *Estimated 125 Award wins

Music: Multiple Song of the Year and Song of the Month Awards from Cyworld Digital Music Awards and Gaon Chart Music Awards, Digital Bonsang Awards and Digital Daesang Awards from Golden Disc Awards, Multiple Awards from Melon Music Awards such as Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, Best Songwriter of the Year, and Top 10 Artist, Multiple Awards from Mnet Asian Music Awards such as Best Collaboration, Best Female Artist, and Best Vocal Performance – Solo, and more!

Acting: 2013 Best New Actress from KBS Drama Awards, Multiple Asia Artist Awards such as Artist of the Year-Television/Film, Popularity Award, and Best Actor Award, 2018 Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries from APAN Star Awards, 2019 Best Actress from Korea First Brand Awards, and more! 

5. Kim Dong Jun

Entertainment Awards: 2019 Best Challenge Award from SBS Entertainment Awards

Non-entertainment Awards: 2015 Newcomer Award from 9th Annual Daegu International Musical Festival, and 2017 Popular Star Award from Asia Model Festival Awards

6. Youn Jung Hoon

Entertainment Awards: 2020 Best Entertainer Award in Show/Variety Category and 2021 Excellence Award, Show/Variety Category from KBS Entertainment Award

Non-entertainment Awards: 2003 Best New Actor from KBS Drama Awards, 2008 PD Award from MBC Drama Awards, 2013 Excellence Award, Actor in a Serial Drama from MBC Drama Awards, 4th round win in Asia Pacific region from the 2014 Ferrari Challenge Race, 2015 Best Actor Award from Grimae Awards, 2018 Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Serial Drama from MBC Drama Awards 

7. Song Ji Hyo

Entertainment Awards: 2010 Special Award in Variety, 2011 Excellence Award in Variety, 2013 Top Excellence Female Award, and 2015 Top Excellence Award in Variety from SBS Entertainment Awards, 2021 Female Multitainer from Brand Customer Loyalty Award

Non-entertainment Awards: 2011 Producer's Award from MBC Drama Awards, 2015 Best Actress of the Year from DramaFever Awards, 2016 Impressive performances chosen by viewers from JTBC Awards, 2016 Best Actress of the Year from Soompi Awards, 2016 Best Trans-boundary Female Artist from Sina Weibo Night Awards, 2019, 2020, and 2021 Popularity Award for Actress from Asia Artist Awards, 2020 Rediscovery Award from IZE Magazine

8. Cha Tae Hyun

Entertainment Awards: 2007 Best Radio DJ from KBS Entertainment Awards, 2012 Top Entertainer Award from KBS Entertainment Awards, 2013 Top Excellence Award from KBS Entertainment Awards, 2018 Excellence Award, Music/Talk Category (Male) from MBC Entertainment Awards

Non-entertainment Awards: 1999 Best New Actor (TV) from Baeksang Arts Awards, MBC Drama Awards, and SBS Drama Awards, 2000 Big Star Award, Popularity Award, SBSi Award from SBS Drama Awards, 2001 Best New Actor, and 2002 and 2003 Popular Star Awards from Blue Dragon Film Awards, 2002 Best New Actor from Golden Cinematography Awards, 2002 Popularity Award and 2008 Overseas Popularity Award from Grand Bell Awards, 2009 Best Actor from Max Movie Awards, 2015, 2018, and 2021 Top Excellence Award, Actor from KBS Drama Awards

9. Lee Kwang Soo

Entertainment Awards: 2011 Best Newcomer in Variety, 2013 Friendship Award, 2014 Excellence Award in Variety, 2016 Hot Issue Variety Award, 2016 Top Excellence Award in Variety Show, 2018 Popularity Award, and 2019 SNS Star Award from SBS Entertainment Award, 2016 Variety Influence Award from Jumei Awards Ceremony, and 2017 Top Entertainer Award from Korea Film Actors Association Awards

Non-entertainment Awards: 2008 Hot CF Award from Mnet 20's Choice Awards, 2009 CF Model Award from Asia Model Festival Awards, 2014 Popular Star Award, Actor from APAN Star Awards, 2014 Excellence Award, Actor from Korea Drama Awards, 2014 Special Award, Actor in a Miniseries from SBS Drama Awards, 2016 Asia Popularity Award from Sina Weibo Night Awards, 2018 Best Popular Star Award from Korea Best Star Awards, 2019 Scene Stealer Award and Best K-Culture (Actor) from Asia Artist Awards, 2019 Popular Star Award from Blue Dragon Film Awards, 2020 Best Supporting Actor – Film from Baeksang Arts Awards, 2021 Best Supporting Actor from Golden Cinema Film Festival

10. Kim Seon Ho

Entertainment Awards: 2020 Rookie Award – Show/Variety Category from KBS Entertainment Awards, 2021 Male Multitainer from Brand Customer Loyalty Awards, 2021 Popularity Award – Entertainer from Korea Broadcasting Awards

Non-entertainment Awards: 2017 Excellence Award, Actor in a Monday-Tuesday Drama, and Best New Actor from MBC Drama Awards, 2020 Best Emotive Award, 2021 RET Popularity Award – Actor, 2021 U+Idol Live Popularity Award – Actor from Asia Artist Awards, 2020 Model Star Award from Asia Model Festival, 2021 Most Popular Actor from Baeksang Arts Awards, 2021 Trend Icon – Actor from Brand Customer Loyalty Awards, 2021 Character of the Year from the Seoul International Drama Awards

11. Hong Jin Young

Entertainment Awards: 2014 Excellence Award from MBC Entertainment Awards, 2018 Best Couple Award, and 2019 Top Excellence Award in Reality Category from SBS Entertainment Awards

Non-entertainment Awards: 2009 Best Trot from Mnet Asian Music Awards, 2015 Best Trot from Golden Disc Awards, and Seoul Music Awards, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 Best Trot from Melon Music Awards, 2017 Korean Wave Trot Award, 2018 New Hallyu Trot Award, and 2019 Trot Grand Award from Soribada Best K-Music Awards

12. Yoon Si Yoon

Entertainment Awards: 2016 Rookie Award in Variety from KBS Entertainment Awards, 2018 Top Entertainer Award from KBS Entertainment Award

Non-entertainment Awards: 2010 Excellence Award, Actor in a Special Production Drama from KBS Drama Awards, 2010 Popularity Award, Actor from Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards, 2010 Best New Actor from Korea Drama Awards, 2010 Grand Prize (Daesang) for Korean Entertainment Culture Awards, 2012 Asia Top 10 Popular Star Awards, 2018 Excellence Award, Actor in a Wednesday-Thursday Drama from SBS Drama Awards

13. Sung Si Kyung

Entertainment Awards: 2007 Excellence Award in Radio from MBC Entertainment Awards, 2012 Top Excellence Award in Radio from MBC Entertainment Awards, 2016 MC Award from MBC Entertainment Awards, 2018 Excellence Award in Variety from KBS Entertainment Awards

Non-entertainment Awards: 2001 Rookie of the Year and Best New Artist from Golden Disc Awards, MBC Gayo Daejeon, Mnet Asian Music Awards, SBS Gayo Daejeon and Seoul Music Awards, 2002 Bonsang from Golden Disc Awards, and Seoul Music Awards, 2002 Best Male Artist from Mnet Asian Music Awards, 2002, 2003 and 2006 Bonsang from SBS Gayo Daejeon, 2005 Singer of the Year from KBS Music Awards, 2006 Song of the Month (November) from Cyworld Digital Music Awards

14. Yoo In Na

Entertainment Awards: 2011 Best Entertainer in a Variety Show from SBS Entertainment Awards, 2014 Best Radio DJ from KBS Entertainment Awards

Non-entertainment Awards: 2011 Best New Actress – Television from Baeksang Arts Awards, 2011  Special award from Olleh-Lotte Smartphone Film Festival, 2012 Rising Star Award from APAN Star Awards, 2013 BBF Pop Star Award from Asia Model Festival Awards, 2017 Best Supporting Actress from DramaFever Awards

15. Jo Bo Ah

Entertainment Awards: 2017 Best Challenge Award from SBS Entertainment Awards and 2018 Best Challenge Award from SBS Entertainment Awards

Non-entertainment Awards: 2015 Best New Actress from Grimae Awards, 2015 Popularity Award, Actress from KBS Drama Awards, 2016 Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial Drama from APAN Star Awards, 2016 Best New Actress from MBC Drama Awards, 2018 Excellence Award, Actress in a Weekend Drama from MBC Drama Awards, 2018 Best New Actress (Drama) from The Seoul Awards, 2020 Netizen Award, Actress from KBS Drama Awards

16. Gary

Entertainment Awards: 2010 Variety New Star Award, 2012 Excellence Award in Variety, 2015 Top Excellence Award in Variety from SBS Entertainment Awards, 2014 Entertainment Spirit Award from Youku Night Awards

Non-entertainment Awards: 2002 Hip-Hop Artist of the Year from Mnet Music Video Festival, 2007 Song of the Month, and Best Collaboration of the Year from Cyworld Digital Music Awards, 2009 Hip-Hop Artist of the Year, and 2011 Best Rap Performance from Mnet Asian Music Awards, 2010 Bonsang and Best Collaboration of the Year from Cyworld Digital Music Awards, 2011 Top 10 Artists from MelOn Music Awards

17. Lee Sang Yoon

Entertainment Awards: 2018 Rookie Award in Male Category from SBS Entertainment Awards, 2019 Excellence Award in Show/Variety Category from SBS Entertainment Awards

Non-entertainment Awards: 2009 Best Newcomer, TV Actor category from Korea Broadcasting Awards, 2010 Best New Actor from MBC Drama Awards, 2012 Popularity Award, Actor in a Drama from Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards, 2013 BBF Popular Star Award from Asia Model Festival Awards, 2016 Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries from KBS Drama Awards, 2019 Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries and 2021 Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries Romance/Comedy Drama from SBS Drama Awards

Here are only some of the many amazing entertainers who work hard in all fields, doing great in their careers through their talents and determination. Who among these entertainers is your favorite?