Seoul International Drama Awards 2026 Unveils Winners

-Norwegian Drama “A Better Man” Wins Grand Prize, Takes Three Honors-

-“Pluribus” Wins Best Miniseries; “Breaking Bad” Creator Vince Gilligan and Gordon Smith Take Best Director-

-Korean Dramas Take Two Best Miniseries Honors; Seung-ryong Ryu, Kyo-hwan Koo and Ji-yeon Lim Win Acting Honors-

-Seven Stars, Six Countries: Global Fans Select This Year’s Outstanding Asian Stars-

The Seoul International Drama Awards 2026 has announced its winners after drawing a record 352 entries from 46 countries and regions. Across the International Competition, K-Drama Competition and International Invitation, 10 program awards and 16 individual honorees were announced.

■ “A Better Man” Sweeps Three Honors, Including Grand Prize

  Norwegian drama “A Better Man” took the Grand Prize in the International Competition, with Thomas Seeberg Torjussen winning Best Screenwriter and Anders Baasmo named Best Actor. The series follows Tom, a middle-aged man known for spreading misogynistic hate online, who goes into hiding disguised as a woman after his identity is exposed. Through his gradual transformation, the drama tackles online hate, gender conflict and social isolation while moving toward empathy and reconciliation.

The series previously swept three prizes at CANNESERIES 2025, including Best Series and Best Performance for Baasmo. The SDA jury praised “A Better Man” as being “at the highest level in nearly every aspect, from writing and direction to performance,” calling it fully deserving of the Grand Prize.

■ “Breaking Bad” Creator Vince Gilligan’s “Pluribus” Scores Double Win

  Apple TV’s original sci-fi drama “Pluribus” won Best Miniseries, while Vince Gilligan and Gordon Smith jointly won Best Director for the series in the International Competition. Created by Vince Gilligan, best known as the creator of “Breaking Bad” and co-creator of “Better Call Saul,” the series follows the world’s unhappiest woman as she sets out to save humanity from a society in which everyone else has become happy. Its bold premise explores individuality, human connection and the pressure to conform.

At the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, Rhea Seehorn won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, while Vince Gilligan won Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for the episode “We Is Us.” Adding to the series’ growing critical acclaim, the SDA jury praised its imaginative take on happiness and its exploration of human empathy.

■ Korean Dramas Claim Two Best Miniseries Honors in International Competition

  Korean dramas made a strong showing in the International Competition, with “My Royal Nemesis” and “The Dream Life of Mr. Kim” winning Best Miniseries. “My Royal Nemesis” debuted at No. 1 on Netflix’s Global Non-English TV chart. The fantasy romantic comedy follows a woman branded a villain during Korea’s Joseon dynasty who awakens in present-day Seoul and sets out to rewrite her fate.

“The Dream Life of Mr. Kim” also took Best Miniseries, while Seung-ryong Ryu won Best Actor for his portrayal of a longtime corporate employee rebuilding his life amid restructuring and generational change. The series turns a distinctly Korean workplace story into a broader exploration of identity and dignity. Ryu won Best Actor in a field that included 2026 Primetime Emmy nominee Charles Melton, Gary Oldman and Hiroki Hasegawa.

■ “The Dream Life of Mr. Kim,” “We Are All Trying Here” Lead K-Drama Winners

  In the K-Drama Competition, SLL’s “The Dream Life of Mr. Kim” and “We Are All Trying Here” were named Outstanding Korean Drama. Kyo-hwan Koo won Outstanding Korean Actor for “We Are All Trying Here.” Koo has also gained international recognition through series including “D.P.” and “Parasyte: The Grey.”

Ji-yeon Lim, widely known to global audiences for “The Glory,” was named Outstanding Korean Actress for “My Royal Nemesis,” extending the series’ success beyond its Best Miniseries win in the International Competition.

RIIZE’s ANTON won the fan-voted Outstanding Korean Drama OST for ‘Close to Me’ from ‘Yumi’s Cells 3,’ marking his first solo OST.

■ International Standouts Earn Program Honors at SDA 2026

  Germany’s “Disclosure” won Best TV Movie. Inspired by the still-unsolved 2007 murder of police officer Michèle Kiesewetter, the thriller explores abuse of power, organized crime and far-right extremism.

Taiwan’s “Had I Not Seen the Sun” won Best Series. From the team behind “Someday or One Day,” the mystery romance follows a documentary production assistant interviewing a convicted serial killer as long-hidden secrets come to light. The SDA jury praised its distinctive interview framing and psychological depth.

Greece’s “The Child” also won Best Series, blending realism and surrealism in the story of a young man on the autism spectrum and his caregiver seeking refuge in a remote village.

Spain’s “Unfiltered” won Best Short Form for its exploration of digital identity and the risks young people face online, following its Best Screenplay win at the 2025 South International Series Festival.

Meanwhile, Elizaveta Maximová was named Best Actress for the Czech TV movie “Mom.” She earned praise for her deeply moving portrayal of a young mother with an intellectual disability fighting to rebuild her life with her daughter.

■ Seven Outstanding Asian Stars Chosen by Global Fans

  The fan-voted Outstanding Asian Star honors went to seven stars from six countries: NCT’s JAEMIN for “Wind Up” and JISOO for “Boyfriend on Demand” from South Korea; Yang Yang for “The Immortal Ascension” from China; Jin Akanishi for “Romantic Anonymous” from Japan; Paulo Avelino for “The Alibi” from the Philippines; Rebecca Patricia Armstrong for “Girl From Nowhere: The Reset” from Thailand; and Gladys Bay for “Under The Net” from Singapore.

Sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Seoul Metropolitan Government, KBS, MBC, SBS, EBS and CBS, the SDA 2026 Awards Ceremony will take place at KBS Hall in Yeouido on Thursday, October 8. A red carpet featuring winners and presenters will take place ahead of the ceremony. The ceremony will air live on MBC and stream simultaneously on the official Seoul International Drama Awards YouTube channel beginning at 4:55 p.m. KST.

To mark the 70th anniversary of Korean drama, this year’s program will begin with a special pre-event at COEX Magok on October 6. Drama Festa will take place on October 9 and 10 at Banpo Hangang Park and Seokchon West Lake(Songpa Naru Park), featuring drama talk concerts, OST concerts and interactive drama experiences.

Here is the full list of winners of the Seoul International Drama Awards 2026.

▣ International Competition Category

▶ Golden Bird Award

※ The recipient will be announced separately on September 29.

▶ Program Awards

Grand Prize

“A Better Man” / Norway (Maipo Film, Beta Film)

Best TV Movie

“Disclosure” / Germany (W&B Television GmbH)

Best Miniseries

“My Royal Nemesis” / South Korea (Studio S Co., Ltd.)

“Pluribus” / U.S.A. (Apple TV)

“The Dream Life of Mr. Kim” / South Korea (SLL)

Best Series

“Had I Not Seen the Sun” / Taiwan (Netflix, Gala Television Corporation, Make A Deal International Production Co., Ltd.)

“The Child” / Greece (ERT S.A. HELLENIC BROADCASTING CORPORATION)

Best Short Form

“Unfiltered” / Spain (Vértigo Films)

▶ Individual Awards

Best Director

Vince Gilligan, Gordon Smith “Pluribus”

Best Screenwriter

Thomas Seeberg Torjussen “A Better Man”

Best Actor

Anders Baasmo “A Better Man”

Seung-ryong Ryu “The Dream Life of Mr. Kim”

Best Actress

Elizaveta Maximová “Mom”

▣ K-Drama Competition Category

▶ Outstanding Korean Drama

SLL “The Dream Life of Mr. Kim”

SLL “We Are All Trying Here”

▶ Individual Awards

Outstanding Korean Actor

Kyo-hwan Koo “We Are All Trying Here”

Outstanding Korean Actress

Ji-yeon Lim “My Royal Nemesis”

Outstanding Korean Drama OST

ANTON “Yumi’s Cells 3” / ‘Close to Me’

▣ International Invitation Category

▶ Outstanding Asian Star

JAEMIN “Wind Up” / South Korea

JISOO “Boyfriend on Demand” / South Korea

Yang Yang “The Immortal Ascension” / China

Jin Akanishi “Romantic Anonymous” / Japan

Paulo Avelino “The Alibi” / Philippines

Rebecca Patricia Armstrong “Girl From Nowhere: The Reset” / Thailand

Gladys Bay “Under The Net” / Singapore

▲ International Competition Program Award Posters (left), K-Drama Competition Program Award Posters (right)

▲ International Competition Individual Award Winners

▲ K-Drama Competition Individual Award Winners

▲ Outstanding Asian Star Winners