Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Seoul Drama Awards has revealed the finalists for this year's international competition.
The Seoul Drama Awards Organizing Committee (Chairman Bae Moon-sin) announced on the 6th that, after a global jury evaluated 276 entries from 50 countries (regions), a total of 24 works were nominated for the Best Work award, and 32 individuals were nominated for the Best Actor/Actress awards.
Renowned directors such as Hirokazu Kore-eda of ‘Asura’, Bille August of ‘The Count of Montecristo’, Kim Won-seok of ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’, and Philippe Barantini of ‘Adolescence’ will compete for the top award. Emerging director Lee Jin-ah of ‘To My Lonely Sister’ has also joined the list of nominees, drawing attention.
Writers who have been nominated or awarded at prestigious international awards such as the Emmys are also among the nominees. Dan Erickson of ‘Severance S2’, Soo Hugh of ‘Pachinko S2’, Lim Sang-chun of ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’, and Steven Graham, who won the Best Actor award in the international competition at the Seoul Drama Awards 2022 for ‘Adolescence’, are all in the running.
In the Best Actress category, Kate Blanchett, who recently made a surprise appearance in ‘Squid Game 3’ and astonished fans in Korea and around the world, stands out for her role in ‘Disclaimer’. Additionally, Korean actresses Kim Da-mi of ‘Nine Puzzles’, Kim Jung-young of ‘My Trouble-Maker Mom’, and Kim Min-ha of ‘Pachinko S2’ have all made it to the finals, showcasing the status of K-dramas.
Notably, Kate Blanchett and Hirokazu Kore-eda met as the jury chair and the Palme d'Or winner at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018, raising interest in whether they will reunite in Seoul this October. The Best Actor category features strong contenders including Adam Scott, who is nominated for an Emmy for ‘Severance’, and Owen Cooper for ‘Adolescence’.
In the mini-series category, a total of 8 works have been nominated, highlighting the strength of global OTT platforms. △ ‘Adolescence’ (Netflix), which gained attention for its one-take direction in all episodes △ ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ (Netflix), based on the novel by Nobel laureate Gabriel García Márquez △ ‘Asura’ (Netflix), directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, who is celebrating his 30th anniversary this year △ ‘Pachinko S2’ (Apple TV+), which returned after winning 11 international awards, are included. Notably, both ‘Adolescence’ and ‘Pachinko S2’ have been nominated in 4 categories each, raising expectations for multiple awards.
While the mini-series category showcases the strength of global OTTs, the one-act plays have shown remarkable achievements with 4 domestic works nominated. △ ‘To My Lonely Sister’ (KBS) and △ ‘Our Beautiful Summer’ △ ‘The Son’ △ ‘Unbalanced Love’, three works from CJ ENM, are competing against ‘Smetana’ (Czech Television) and ‘Champagne-Peppino di Capri’ (RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana).
In the feature-length category, national dramas representing various countries are prominently competing. △ The family drama ‘For Eagle Brothers’ (KBS), which surpassed a 23% viewership rating △ ‘The Nightfall’ (ATV), which recorded the number one prime-time rating in Turkey △ ‘Emerald Hill - The Little Nyonya Story’ (Mediacorp Pte Ltd), which became the first Singaporean drama to reach number one on Netflix locally, are among the 8 popular works nominated for high viewership ratings.
The final winners of the Seoul Drama Awards 2025, held with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Seoul Metropolitan Government, KBS, MBC, SBS, EBS, and CBS, will be announced in September, and the awards ceremony will be broadcast live on SBS and the official YouTube channel of the Seoul Drama Awards starting at 5:50 PM on October 2.
[Lee Da-kyum, Star Today Reporter]
