Global Stars and Visionary Creators Lead

Seoul International Drama Awards 2026 Nominee Lineup

Gary Oldman, Carey Mulligan, Vince Gilligan, and Sung-jin Lee Among SDA 2026 Nominees

– A Record 352 Entries from 46 Countries and Regions;

30 Titles and 34 Individual Award Nominees Advance to the Final Round –

  SEOUL, Aug. 20, 2026 — The Seoul Drama Awards Organizing Committee (SDAOC), chaired by Hyung-joon Ahn, today announced the final nominees for the Seoul International Drama Awards 2026 (SDA 2026). Selected through extensive deliberations by an international jury, this year’s shortlist comprises 30 titles and 34 individual nominees, narrowed down from a record-breaking field of 352 entries across 46 countries and regions.

Program Awards: 30 Titles Selected from a Record 352 Entries

  Among the 352 submissions, 30 titles across four categories have advanced to the final round of the International Competition: 12 titles in Miniseries, 6 in TV Movie, 7 in Series, and 5 in Short Form.

■ Miniseries: Award-Winning Titles and Global Standouts

  The Miniseries category boasts a competitive selection of award-winning titles. “A Better Man”, which explores online hate and gender issues, won three awards at CANNESERIES 2025, including Best Series and Best Performance. The field also highlights “Empire Oktoberfest S2”, winner of Best Series at the 2025 Munich Film Festival; “Nepobaby”, winner of Best Screenplay at CANNESERIES 2025; and “Slow Horses S5”, the latest season of the Emmy- and BAFTA-winning spy series.

  The lineup also features works by prominent creators and performers. “BEEF S2”, created by Sung-jin Lee, stars Academy Award winner Yuh-jung Youn and “Parasite” star Kang-ho Song, alongside Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan, and leads this year’s limited series field with 16 Emmy nominations. “Pluribus” comes from “Breaking Bad” creator Vince Gilligan and earned 18 Emmy nominations this year. The judging panel described “A Woman of Substance” as a quintessential British period drama, while “Mozart Mozart” offers a new perspective on Mozart’s sister, Maria Anna.

  K-dramas are also strongly represented, with “We Are All Trying Here” (Kyo-hwan Koo, Youn-jung Go), “My Royal Nemesis” (Ji-yeon Lim, Nam-jun Heo), “The Dream Life of Mr. Kim” (Seung-ryong Ryu) and “You and Everything Else” (Go-eun Kim, Ji-hyun Park) among the nominees.

■ TV Movie: Togo Makes Its SDA Debut as Real-Life Stories Stand Out

  “Mikoko”, Togo’s first-ever entry in the Seoul International Drama Awards, has advanced to the final round. Centered on market vendors facing the threat of redevelopment, the drama won awards at the 2025 Seattle Black Film Festival and the Black Star International Film Festival.

  Two titles from Taiwan, “No One Home” and “The Carry-On”, explore family bonds beyond biological ties and the realities of aging and caregiving, respectively.  Real-life events and figures also feature prominently. “Dirty Business” investigates the United Kingdom’s water pollution crisis based on a decade-long inquiry, while “Disclosure” draws on an unsolved case involving the murder of a police officer in Germany. “Goolagong” chronicles the life of Indigenous Australian tennis champion Evonne Goolagong.

■ Series: A Broad Spectrum of Genres and Themes 

  The Series category spans a wide range of genres and themes, from mystery romance and psychological thrillers to socially conscious dramas and female-centered narratives. Among these, the mystery romance “Had I Not Seen the Sun” drew attention ahead of its release by reuniting members of the creative team behind “Someday or One Day”. Meanwhile, the psychological thriller “The Guest” spent three consecutive weeks on Netflix’s Global Top 10: Non-English Shows.

  “Defying Destiny” draws inspiration from the life of a Colombian activist for domestic workers’ rights, and “Her” follows a woman rebuilding her life through boxing and cooking. Other nominees include “Envy”, an adaptation of a Turkish literary work focused on revenge, and “The Child”, which revolves around a character on the autism spectrum.

The K-drama “Our Golden Days”, starring Il-woo Jung and In-sun Jung, is the only Korean entry in the Series category to advance to the final round.

■ Short Form: Returns After Five Years with Platform Hits and Festival Winners

  Returning after five years, the Short Form category brings together platform hits and international award winners. The main hashtag for the economic crime drama “Hidden ID: Sky-High Tips” has surpassed 120 million views on Douyin, while “Unfiltered” won Best Screenplay at the 2025 South International Series Festival (SISF).

  The lineup also includes “Now You See Him: Revenge of a Blind Wife”, a suspense drama about a visually impaired woman seeking revenge, and the Finnish comedy-drama “Atlantis Pasila”.

The K-drama “My Baby Daddy is My Best Friend” is the first short-form drama by Byeong-heon Lee, director of the hit film “Extreme Job” and the series “Be Melodramatic”. Following its release in February, the series held the No. 1 spot on the Korean short-form platform Lezhin Snack through mid-April.

Individual Awards: Global Creators and Performers Take Center Stage

■ Best Director: Renowned Directors Lead the Field

The Best Director category brings together accomplished directors with major international credits. Sung-jin Lee, who won three Emmys and a Golden Globe for “BEEF”, is jointly nominated with Jake Schreier for “BEEF S2”. Emmy and Writers Guild Award winner Vince Gilligan is jointly nominated with Gordon Smith for “Pluribus”.

“Had I Not Seen the Sun” directors Chi-cheng Chiang and Chi-feng Chien are also nominated, bringing strong award credentials. Chiang won Best Cinematography at the Asian Television Awards in 2017 and 2020. Chien received Best Writing for a Television Series at the 55th Golden Bell Awards for “Someday or One Day”.

Other nominees include Thomas Seeberg Torjussen and Gjyljeta Berisha (“A Better Man”); Miranda Edmonds and Khrob Edmonds (“Whale Shark Jack”); Vardis Marinakis (“The Great Chimera”); Rafael Martinez and Daniel Arenas (“Defying Destiny”); and You Quan (“Hidden ID: Sky-High Tips”).

■ Best Screenwriter: Celebrated Writers in the Spotlight

The Best Screenwriter category features major award winners and several creators who are nominated in multiple categories. Emmy-winning screenwriter Will Smith is nominated for “Slow Horses S5”. Dirk Eisfeld is nominated for “Nuremberg 45”, having previously worked on “Verliebt in Berlin”, winner of the German Television Award and the Rose d’Or.

Thomas Seeberg Torjussen (“A Better Man”) and Vince Gilligan (“Pluribus”) are likewise nominated for Best Director. Yilmaz Sahin (“Envy”) and Juana Uribe (“Defying Destiny”) are also in contention, alongside K-drama nominees Hae-young Park (“We Are All Trying Here”) and Byeong-heon Lee (“My Baby Daddy is My Best Friend”).

■ Best Actor and Best Actress: Global Stars Vie for Top Honors

  The Best Actor field features several internationally recognized performers, including Gary Oldman (“Slow Horses S5”), winner of an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA Award. Charles Melton, who received honors from the Gotham Awards and the New York Film Critics Circle for his performance in the film “May December”, is nominated for “BEEF S2”. Anders Baasmo, who won an Amanda Award for his performance in the film “Buddy”, is nominated for “A Better Man”. Hiroki Hasegawa, winner of the Newcomer of the Year award at the Japan Academy Film Prize, is also in the running for “Sleepy Eyes of Death: Nemuri Kyoshiro”. 

  The Best Actress nominees are equally distinguished. Carey Mulligan, who won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress for the film “An Education”, is nominated for “BEEF S2”. Rhea Seehorn is nominated for “Pluribus” after winning acting honors at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards and Saturn Awards, and earning her first lead actress Emmy nomination this year. Yi-jung Wu, a Golden Bell Award-winning actress, is nominated for “The Carry-On”. Other nominees include Elizaveta Maximová, a Czech Lion Award nominee for “Mom”; Lila McGuire, who portrays Australian tennis legend Evonne Goolagong in “Goolagong”; Macondo Award winner Karent Hinestroza (“Defying Destiny”); and Asuka Hamaru (“My Daughter Was a Bully”), whose series reached No. 1 on the short-form platform BUMP in the second half of 2025.

  K-drama performers also have a strong presence in the acting categories. Best Actor nominees from K-dramas include Seon-ho Kim (“Can This Love Be Translated?”), Kyo-hwan Koo (“We Are All Trying Here”), Seung-ryong Ryu (“The Dream Life of Mr. Kim”), and Il-woo Jung (“Our Golden Days”). Best Actress nominees include Go-eun Kim for “You and Everything Else” and In-sun Jung for “Our Golden Days”. Youn-jung Go is nominated for performances in two titles, “Can This Love Be Translated?” and “We Are All Trying Here”.

  The winners of the Seoul International Drama Awards 2026 will be announced in September. The Awards Ceremony will take place at KBS Hall in Yeouido on Thursday, October 8. Beginning at 4:55 p.m. KST, the ceremony will air live on MBC and stream simultaneously on the official Seoul International Drama Awards YouTube channel. This year’s program begins with the 70th Anniversary Celebration of Korean Drama on October 6, followed by the Red Carpet, Awards Ceremony and After Party on October 8. Drama Festa will take place on October 9 and 10 at Banpo Hangang Park and Songpa Naru Park, featuring talk sessions, OST concerts, and interactive experiences for K-drama fans.