In our three‑part series, we’ve shown that Nuna deserved more recognition at the 2024 SBS Drama Awards, especially for Kim Ji‑won’s career‑best performance. However, the excellence of Episode 36 — subtle, mature, and emotionally devastating — has proven more important than any trophy. The real award is the drama’s place in viewers’ hearts.

For complete coverage of Nuna from nominations to the finale, search #nunadrama2024sbsdramaawardspart3end36 on Twitter/X for fan‑curated threads and clips.

Did Episode 36 change your mind about the Daesang outcome? Share your thoughts below.

Read Part 1 (Nominations) and Part 2 (Ceremony Upsets) by clicking the links. This concludes our three‑part awards series.

As Part 3 reached its final stretch, hosts Lee Je-hoon, Kim Hye-yoon, and Shin Ye-eun took center stage. The energy shifted from lighthearted banter to genuine tension. The nominees for Best Drama of the Year were announced, including:

The camera focused on the cast of Nuna, Please Wait – a heart-wrenching noona romance starring Jung Hae-in as a younger pianist and Son Ye-jin (returning to SBS after a decade) as an older film director. Their chemistry dominated social media throughout 2024.

The keyword “part3end36” refers to the fact that Nuna’s final episode (#36) aired just 10 days before the SBS Drama Awards, on December 21, 2024. Unlike many dramas that wrap earlier in December, Nuna’s production schedule was so tight that the finale script was completed only three weeks before broadcast.

Episode 36, titled “The Nuna Who Never Left”, became legendary overnight. Without spoiling everything for those still catching up, here are the major plot points that influenced award voters:

Why did this matter for the SBS Drama Awards? Because voting for the Grand Prize and Top Excellence awards closed on December 23, 2024 — just two days after Episode 36 aired. Voters (a panel of industry experts + audience poll) had the finale fresh in their minds.

According to SBS insider reports (unconfirmed, but widely circulated by news outlets like Sports Chosun), Kim Ji‑won was leading the Daesang voting before Episode 36. However, the finale’s relatively quiet, low‑melodrama tone (compared to the explosive Episode 35 cliffhanger) may have caused some voters to shift attention to Lee Sung‑min’s consistently powerful performance throughout The President’s Shadow.

| Award | Winner | Drama | |-------|--------|-------| | Best Supporting Actor | Park Sung-woong | The Escape of the Seven | | Best Couple Award | Jung Hae-in & Son Ye-jin | Nuna, Please Wait | | Best Drama | Nuna, Please Wait | SBS | | Grand Prize (Daesang) | Son Ye-jin | Nuna, Please Wait |

The final 15 minutes of the awards show are reserved for the Daesang. Nominees included:

At minute 58 of Part 3 (22 minutes into the final 36), the winner was announced: Son Ye-jin – Grand Prize.

Her second Daesang in her career. She broke down, thanking her husband (Hyun Bin, watching from the audience), her young son, and the Nuna team. "I was worried that playing 'nuna' at my age would be controversial. But you proved that a woman's story is timeless."

First, let’s decode the search term. "Nuna" (누나) is Korean for "older sister," often used by younger males addressing an older female. In drama context, it likely refers to one of SBS’s 2024 hits:

The "Part 3 End 36" suggests viewers are looking for the final third of the awards ceremony, starting around the 36-minute mark before the show ends. This segment traditionally hosts the Grand Prize (Daesang) winner, the final Best Couple award, and the closing remarks.

At exactly the 13-minute mark of this final segment (45 minutes into Part 3), the envelope opened. "The SBS Best Drama Award 2024 goes to – Nuna, Please Wait."

The cast erupted. Son Ye-jin, visibly emotional, walked to the stage with Jung Hae-in. In her speech, she said: "Playing a noona who falls for a younger man was challenging, but you made it beautiful. This is for every woman who believed love has no age limit." Jung Hae-in added: "She is not just 'nuna' on screen – she is a legend."

This 5-minute acceptance speech became the most-clipped moment of the night, driving searches for "nunadrama2024sbsdramaawardspart3end36" as fans rushed to rewatch the exact segment.