Seoul Drama Awards 2026 will be held in Seoul on October 8, honoring Kim Eun-sook, Ryu Seung-ryong, JIN, and other global drama figures.
October/6/2026 13:13
The awards ceremony for the international drama festival “Seoul Drama Awards 2026,” which honors outstanding dramas and creators from countries around the world, will be held on Thursday, October 8, at KBS Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, South Korea. On the 6th, the Seoul Drama Awards Organizing Committee announced the star-studded guests who will attend the ceremony, including major winners, actors, and creators from Japan and abroad. Stars representing Korea, Japan, and countries across Asia will gather together, including Korea’s leading screenwriter Kim Eun-sook, Ryu Seung-ryong, RIIZE’s Anton, and Japan’s Jin Akanishi. In addition, notable creators from around the world, including the winning team of the Norwegian work A Better Man, which won three awards including the Grand Prize in the International Competition section, will come to Korea. An internationally colorful ceremony will unfold. The highest honor of the ceremony, the Golden Bird Award, was selected for screenwriter Kim Eun-sook, who has created numerous global hit works such as Goblin: The Lonely and Great God, Descendants of the Sun, and The Glory. Kim Eun-sook will appear on the Seoul Drama Awards stage for the first time in 15 years, since receiving the Korean Wave Drama Writer Award for Secret Garden in 2011. Attention is also focused on what kind of appearance the top screenwriter, who has created K-drama masterpieces that have captivated viewers around the world, will make at this year’s ceremony. In the International Competition section, the Norwegian work A Better Man achieved a three-award sweep, including the Grand Prize, the Screenplay Award, and the Best Actor Award. Attending the ceremony will be Anders Baasmo, who won Best Actor, as well as Thomas Seeberg Torjussen, who won the Screenplay Award, producer Synnøve Hørsdal, and cinematographer Daniel Voldheim. In addition, producer Ma Yi-ting of the Taiwanese hit drama Someday or One Day and Elisabeth Maximova, who won Best Actress for the Czech one-off drama Mom, are also scheduled to appear. Drama professionals drawing attention from around the world will gather in Seoul. From Korea, Ryu Seung-ryong, who gave a powerful performance in The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract? No, in The Story of a Manager Who Commutes from Seoul’s House to a Large Company, will attend as the Best Actor winner in the International Competition section. In the K-Drama section, Lim Ji-yeon won Best Actress for Wonderful World, and Ku Kyo-hwan won Best Actor for Anyone Who Fights Against Their Worthless Self. In addition, Anton of RIIZE, who won the K-Drama section OST Award for the insert song “Close to Me” from Yumi’s Cells Season 3, is also scheduled to attend the ceremony. The Asia Star Award winners also feature a glamorous lineup. From Japan, Jin Akanishi, who appeared in the Netflix series Romantics Anonymous, is scheduled to attend; from the Philippines, Paulo Avelino of The Alibi; and from Singapore, Gladys Bay of Under the Net. Furthermore, Asuka Hayamaru, who was nominated for Best Actress in the International Competition section from Japan, producer Naomichi Sawamura of emole Inc., and director Asaka Hasegawa will also participate. It will truly be an international drama festival, with drama professionals from not only Korea but also Asia including Japan, and countries around the world gathering together. The ceremony will be hosted by actor Kim Nam-gil, who serves as the official ambassador of the Seoul Drama Awards, and MBC announcer Lee Jae-eun. Presenters include a diverse lineup of Apink’s Jung Eun-ji, Um Ki-joon, Han Go-eun, Lee Yul-eum, Park Gyeong-hye, Lee Jae-won, Swings, Kim Min, Yoon Ji-sung, Choi Hyo-joo, and Lee Dong-ha. The Grand Prize for the International Competition section’s work award will be presented by Jokee Silva, a leading Nigerian actor and producer, as the representative of the judges. And the Golden Bird Award, the highest honor, will be handed directly by Organizing Committee Chair Lee Seong-ju. A glamorous celebratory performance is also planned on the ceremony stage. Performing will be tripleS, P1Harmony, and Mimi of OH MY GIRL. K-pop artists will enliven the ceremony, where drama stars from around the world gather, with music. Ahead of the awards ceremony, Seoul Drama Awards 2026 will hold a red carpet. The main ceremony will be broadcast live worldwide on MBC and the official YouTube channel from 4:55 p.m. on Thursday, October 8. Seoul Drama Awards 2026, where glamorous winners and performers including Kim Eun-sook, Ryu Seung-ryong, RIIZE’s Anton, and Jin Akanishi gather, is once again drawing great attention as an international drama festival that reflects the “now” of dramas from around the world. ■ Event information “Seoul Drama Awards 2026” Date: Thursday, October 8, 2026 Venue: KBS Hall (Yeouido, Seoul, South Korea) Awards ceremony broadcast: Thursday, October 8, from 4:55 p.m. Broadcast: Live on MBC ■ Related site Official website of “Seoul Drama Awards 2026” ■ Event information “Seoul Drama Awards 2026” Date: Thursday, October 8, 2026 Venue: KBS Hall (Yeouido, Seoul, South Korea) Awards ceremony broadcast: Thursday, October 8, from 4:55 p.m. Broadcast: Live on MBC ■ Related site Official website of “Seoul Drama Awards 2026”
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