tvN's "Lovely Runner" defended its overwhelming first-place position in the June Netizens Awards Masterpiece Award finals for the acting category, confirming its status as the top masterpiece of the first half of the year. Amid a late-stage clash between the fandom's solidarity and the heated pursuit of newer entries, "Lovely Runner' held onto the top spot without any upsets.

According to the final tally of the Masterpiece Award, "Lovely Runner" secured first place with a total of 19,543 votes, earning a 65.9% vote share. Adding another win following last month, it became the protagonist of a milestone record with six consecutive months at the top. Despite a considerable amount of time having passed since the series ended, it monopolized over 60% of the total votes, solidifying its position as the absolute powerhouse in the Masterpiece Award category.

In the second-place group, defense and rebound clashed. MBC's "The Story of Park's Marriage Contract" held onto the runner-up spot with 2,471 votes (8.3%), while MBC's "My Dearest" also secured third place with 2,305 votes (7.8%), fueled by its fandom's steady voting power, forming the leading pack. ENA's "Extraordinary Attorney Woo," which ranked fifth last May, received 1,649 votes (5.6%), jumping one spot to fourth place.

Fierce ranking battles also unfolded in the middle and lower tiers. JTBC's "King the Land" rose to fifth place with 945 votes (3.2%), followed by tvN's "Crash Landing on You" with 799 votes (2.7%). tvN's "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha," which ranked fourth last month, saw a dip in voter support, dropping to seventh place with 681 votes (2.3%), while SBS's "My Demon" maintained eighth place with 592 votes (2.0%).

Competition in the bottom tier was equally intense. Coupang Play's "Things That Come After Love" took ninth place with 336 votes (1.1%), and MBC's "The Red Sleeve" placed tenth with 324 votes (1.1%), wrapping up the first-half finals race.

The first-half finals featured a firepower battle among traditional masterpieces amid the firm dominance of "Lovely Runner." Attention is now focused on what new competitive landscape the Masterpiece Award, having completed its long journey, will face in the second-half race.