Overview
The Seoul International Drama Awards (SDA) is an annual competitive awards ceremony for television drama productions, held in Seoul and organized by the Seoul Drama Awards Organizing Committee (SDAOC) under the Korean Broadcasters Association. The 2026 edition received 352 entries from 46 countries, making it one of the largest TV drama competitions in the world. There is no entry fee for any category, and submissions are open to any production company or legal entity holding copyright to an eligible drama. The 2026 awards ceremony takes place October 8 at KBS Hall in Seoul, with festival events running October 9 to 10.
The SDA is not a film festival. It evaluates scripted live-action television dramas distributed via terrestrial TV, cable, satellite, OTT, or digital platforms. Films produced primarily for theatrical release or film festival submission are explicitly ineligible, as are documentaries, reality programs, and branded content. This distinction matters: if your project is a feature film or a documentary, SDA is not the right platform.
Key Sections
- International Competition - the main competitive section, open to dramas from any country. Categories within this section include TV Movie (1 to 3 episodes), Miniseries (4 to 16 episodes), Series (17 or more episodes), and Short Form Drama (produced for digital platforms, max 20 minutes per episode, no episode limit)
- K-Drama Competition - restricted to dramas produced in Korea. Awards include Outstanding Korean Drama (up to 2 winners), Outstanding Korean Actor, Outstanding Korean Actress, and Outstanding Korean Drama OST
- International Invitation - non-competitive recognition including the Golden Bird Prize (up to 1 program) and Outstanding Asian Star (up to 7 recipients, determined by global fan voting via the IDOLCHAMP app)
What Filmmakers Should Know
Submission Details
Submissions for the 2026 edition opened April 2, 2026 and closed May 27, 2026 at 15:00 KST. The online entry form is available on the official SDA website and must be completed in English. There is no entry fee for any category, and there is no limit on the number of submissions per entrant.
Eligibility Window
Eligible dramas must have been first broadcast, transmitted, or made available to the public between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026, regardless of country or distribution platform. For anthology or omnibus series where each episode has a different story and cast, each episode may be submitted as a separate entry. For seasonal dramas, each season whose first airdate falls within the eligibility period must be submitted separately.
Required Materials
Entrants must submit: an online entry form (in English), images (official poster, director and screenwriter profile photos, actor profile photos at minimum 1200x1600 pixels or 300 dpi, max 5MB each), and video materials. Video submissions require English subtitles unless the original language is English. Accepted video formats include MP4, MOV, AVI, and WMV at minimum 1280x720 HD resolution. Videos can be submitted via Google Drive shared with the SDA account, download links (WeTransfer, Vimeo, Aspera with download expiry after June 15, 2026), or USB drive by post.
What Gets Submitted
For TV Movies, all episodes must be submitted. For Miniseries and Series, the first 1 to 2 episodes are required, with optional additional episodes at the entrant's discretion. A trailer is optional but recommended.
Who Can Submit
Only a company or legal entity holding the copyright to the work, or a person authorized by the copyright holders, may submit an entry. Individual filmmakers cannot submit independently unless they hold or are authorized to represent the copyright.
Major Awards
International Competition Program Awards
- Grand Prize (1 winner)
- Best TV Movie (1 winner)
- Best Miniseries (3 winners)
- Best Series (2 winners)
- Best Short Form (1 winner)
International Competition Individual Awards
- Best Director (1 winner)
- Best Screenwriter (1 winner)
- Best Actor (1 winner)
- Best Actress (1 winner)
K-Drama Competition
- Outstanding Korean Drama (up to 2 winners)
- Outstanding Korean Actor (1 winner)
- Outstanding Korean Actress (1 winner)
- Outstanding Korean Drama OST (1 individual or team)
International Invitation
- Golden Bird Prize (up to 1 program and 1 person)
- Outstanding Asian Star (up to 7 recipients, determined by global fan voting)
Festival History
The Seoul International Drama Awards was established in 2006 by the Korean Broadcasters Association to recognize excellence in international television drama and to promote cross-cultural exchange in broadcasting. The awards ceremony is broadcast live on KBS2 and the official SDA YouTube channel.
The competition has grown significantly. The 2026 edition received 352 entries from 46 countries, the largest number in the event's history. The Short Form Drama category was revived in 2026 for the first time since 2021, receiving 49 submissions from 10 countries across three continents, reflecting the global expansion of short-form digital drama content.
The SDA runs alongside BCWW (Broadcast Worldwide), a content market that connects international broadcasters and distributors with Korean and Asian media companies. This pairing gives the awards a market dimension that pure awards ceremonies lack, providing submitted dramas with potential distribution and licensing exposure across Asian markets.
The global fan voting component, launched in partnership with TNK Factory and the IDOLCHAMP app, allows viewers from over 230 countries to vote for the Outstanding Asian Star and Outstanding Korean Drama OST categories. The 2026 voting window ran from June 15 to July 14. This fan-driven element gives the SDA a reach that extends well beyond the traditional industry audience, particularly across Southeast Asian and Latin American markets where K-drama consumption has grown rapidly.
Past Winners
The SDA's top honor is the Golden Bird Prize, awarded for outstanding impact on the drama industry. The Grand Prize recognizes the best overall production in the International Competition. The K-Drama Competition honors the best Korean productions separately.
2025 Winners (20th edition, 276 entries from 50 countries):
Golden Bird Prize: Ben Stiller for Severance Season 2 (Apple TV+, USA). Stiller accepted via video, praising Korea's storytelling legacy. The series also won Best Screenwriter for Dan Erickson.
International Competition Grand Prize: Adolescence (Netflix, UK). The series also won Best Director for Philip Barantini (shared with Hirokazu Kore-eda for Asura) and Best Actor for Owen Cooper.
Best Actress (shared): Cate Blanchett for Disclaimer and Kim Min-ha for Pachinko Season 2. Outstanding Asian Star winners included Daniel Padilla (Philippines), Kentaro Sakaguchi (Japan), and Anna Jobling (Malaysia).
K-Drama Competition: Outstanding Korean Drama went to When Life Gives You Tangerines and The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call. Ju Ji-hoon won Outstanding Korean Actor for The Trauma Code. IU won Outstanding Korean Actress for When Life Gives You Tangerines.
2024 Winners (19th edition, 346 entries from 48 countries):
Golden Bird Prize: Park Chan-wook for The Sympathizer (HBO). The award recognized his significant impact on the drama industry.
International Competition Grand Prize: Justice: Misconduct (Brazil, Globo). The series examined flaws in the legal system through individual crime stories. Best Miniseries went to 3 Body Problem (Netflix) and Cigarette Girl (Indonesia).
Best Actor: Song Kang-ho for Uncle Samsik. Best Director: Park In-je for Moving. K-Drama Competition: Outstanding Korean Drama went to Moving and Queen of Tears. Ahn Jae-hong and Yeom Hye-ran won Outstanding Korean Actor and Actress for Mask Girl.
Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up
The SDA recognizes television dramas rather than films, but winning dramas have consistently gone on to broader international recognition:
- Severance Season 2 (2025 Golden Bird) - won eight Primetime Emmy Awards in September 2025, including Outstanding Drama Series. The SDA win reinforced its global awards streak.
- Adolescence (2025 Grand Prize) - won six Primetime Emmy Awards in 2025. The SDA recognition came after its Emmy success, confirming its cross-cultural impact.
- The Sympathizer (2024 Golden Bird) - Park Chan-wook's HBO adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen's novel. Received multiple Emmy nominations and established HBO's commitment to Asian-authored stories.
- Moving (2024 Outstanding Korean Drama, Best Director) - Disney+ K-drama based on Kang Full's webtoon. Became one of the most-watched Korean dramas on Disney+ globally.
- Queen of Tears (2024 Outstanding Korean Drama) - tvN drama that became one of the network's highest-rated series. Stars Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won gained renewed international attention.
- Mask Girl (2024 Outstanding Korean Actor and Actress) - Netflix K-drama that went viral globally. Ahn Jae-hong and Yeom Hye-ran's performances drew critical praise across Asian and Western markets.
- 3 Body Problem (2024 Best Miniseries) - Netflix adaptation of Liu Cixin's novel. Created by Game of Thrones showrunners, it reached global audiences and earned Emmy nominations.
Submission Tips Specific to This Festival
The SDA is free to enter. There is no submission fee for any category, and there is no limit on the number of submissions per entrant. This makes it accessible to production companies of any size.
Only a company or legal entity holding copyright may submit. Individual filmmakers cannot submit independently unless they hold the rights. If you are an independent producer, coordinate with your distribution or production company to submit.
The eligibility window runs from July 1 to June 30 of the following year. For anthology series, each episode can be submitted separately. For seasonal dramas, each season must be submitted separately if its first airdate falls within the eligibility period.
For Miniseries and Series, only the first 1 to 2 episodes are required for submission. A trailer is optional but recommended. Submit your strongest episodes, as jurors evaluate based on limited viewing time.
English subtitles are required unless the original language is English. Accepted video formats include MP4, MOV, AVI, and WMV at minimum 1280x720 HD resolution. Videos can be submitted via Google Drive, download links, or USB by post.
The SDA runs alongside BCWW (Broadcast Worldwide), a content market connecting international broadcasters with Korean and Asian media companies. If your drama is seeking Asian distribution, the BCWW market presence adds practical value beyond the awards recognition.
Industry Reputation Notes
The SDA occupies a unique position as one of the few international TV drama awards ceremonies. It is often compared to the International Emmy Awards, but with a distinctly Asian perspective. The International Emmys focus on non-US television, while the SDA includes US productions alongside international and Korean entries.
Compared to the Baeksang Arts Awards, which focus exclusively on Korean film and television, the SDA has a broader international scope. The Baeksang carries more domestic prestige in Korea. The SDA offers more international visibility, particularly through its fan voting component and global broadcast reach.
The 2025 ceremony mirrored Emmy results closely, with Severance and Adolescence winning at both ceremonies. This alignment has led some industry observers to question whether the SDA is becoming an Emmy echo chamber. However, the K-Drama Competition and Outstanding Asian Star categories remain distinctly SDA, recognizing talent that Western awards overlook.
The fan voting component, run through the IDOLCHAMP app, gives the SDA a social media reach that traditional industry awards lack. Votes come from over 230 countries, with particularly strong engagement from Southeast Asia and Latin America. This makes the Outstanding Asian Star category valuable for talent seeking global fan recognition.
The SDA's 20th anniversary in 2025 marked a milestone. With 276 entries from 50 countries, the competition has grown significantly since its founding in 2006. The revival of the Short Form Drama category in 2026 reflects the global expansion of digital short-form content.
Watch
See Also
For TV drama production budgeting, use the Production Budget Calculator. For festival and awards strategy, see Film Festival Strategy. For understanding the Korean content market, see International Film Markets.
