A night of stars, tears and great performances lit up South Korea.
On July 31, 2026, Chroma at Paradise City in Incheon hosted the fifth edition of the Blue Dragon Series Awards, one of the most prestigious events dedicated to original series and programs from streaming platforms. Broadcast live on KBS2, the ceremony was hosted, for the fifth consecutive year, by Jun Hyun-moo and YoonA, Girls’ Generation singer and beloved actress. A duo that has now become part of the very identity of the awards, capable of guiding an evening full of surprises with elegance and naturalness.
The 2026 edition considered original productions released on OTT platforms by May 31, 2026, confirming just how central the world of streaming has become within the South Korean audiovisual industry.
Kim Go-eun, the queen of the evening
The most solemn moment came with the presentation of the Blue Dragon’s Choice, the prestigious Daesang, to Kim Go-eun for the Netflix series You and Everything Else.
The Daesang is not simply an award such as Best Actress; it is the highest honor of the entire ceremony, presented to the artist or work that has left the deepest mark on that year’s edition. When her name was announced, Kim Go-eun could not hold back her tears. On stage, she spoke about the responsibility that comes with each of her characters and the intensity with which she approaches every new project. It was not only the joy of winning, but also the awareness of receiving one of the most important honors of her career. From Goblin to Little Women and You and Everything Else, Kim Go-eun has built an artistic journey made up of complex, fragile and profoundly human characters. The 2026 Daesang definitively establishes her as one of the most authoritative and sensitive performers of her generation.
Yoon Kyung-ho’s sincere tears
One of the ceremony’s most genuine moments will certainly be remembered as Yoon Kyung-ho’s victory, after he was named Best Supporting Actor for The Legend of Kitchen Soldier.
As soon as he stepped onto the stage, the actor appeared incredulous and deeply moved. Tears took the place of words, turning his speech into one of the most intense moments of the evening. Yoon Kyung-ho confessed that he had not expected to win at all. Shortly before the ceremony, Jun Hyun-moo had jokingly suggested that he might receive some good news that evening, but the actor had assumed it was only a joke. When his name was actually announced, all the tension and emotion burst out. With his voice breaking, he thanked the audience, his colleagues, the director, the screenwriters, the crew and his family, crediting them with the honor he had received. On stage, overwhelmed with emotion, he felt that he had been unable to say everything he would have liked to say.
In the following days, he published a very long message on social media to symbolically complete his speech. He also remembered and thanked the other nominees, Jin Sun-kyu, Jung Moon-sung, Lee Kwang-soo and his colleague Lee Sang-yi, expressing admiration for their performances and stating that each of them deserved the same glory. He then admitted that, precisely because the victory had been completely unexpected, all he had done on stage was speak incoherently and cry. Simple words that made the moment even more genuine. It was a particularly meaningful victory for a performer who, without constantly seeking the spotlight, has built a solid career over the years through intense, humorous and memorable roles. His emotion reminded everyone of the value of supporting actors: artists capable of adding depth to stories, supporting the leading performers and making a character unforgettable even with only a few minutes on screen. It was precisely his spontaneous reaction that transformed the award presentation into one of the most human and memorable moments of the edition.
The Legend of Kitchen Soldier, TVING’s triumph
The award for Best Series went to The Legend of Kitchen Soldier, a TVING original production.
The series also earned Yoon Kyung-ho the Best Supporting Actor award, becoming one of the defining works of the edition. Its success is particularly important because it demonstrates the growing strength of Korean platforms. The main award did not automatically go to a Netflix or Disney+ production, but to a title distributed by TVING, which distinguished itself through the originality of its story and the quality of its ensemble cast.
Park Hae-soo, the strength of an intense actor
The award for Best Actor went to Park Hae-soo for The Scarecrow.
Known worldwide thanks to Squid Game, Park Hae-soo has now definitively moved beyond the label associated with the success of the Netflix series. Over time, he has built a precise artistic identity, often choosing ambiguous, troubled and psychologically complex characters. His victory at the 2026 Blue Dragon Series Awards recognizes precisely this interpretative maturity: his ability to portray his characters’ inner conflicts without excess, relying on the power of his gaze, silence and stage presence.
Shin Hye-sun, a victory of great significance
Shin Hye-sun won the Best Actress award for The Art of Sarah.
Her victory carries even greater significance considering the caliber of the other nominees:
Kim Go-eun for You and Everything Else;
Go Youn-jung for Can This Love Be Translated?
Park Bo-young for Gold Land;
Park Ji-hyun for You and Everything Else.
The jury rewarded the precision and depth of Shin Hye-sun’s performance. Although Kim Go-eun did not win in the Best Actress category, she received an even more important honor: the Daesang.
All the main winners
Category — Winner
Blue Dragon’s Choice – Daesang — Kim Go-eun – You and Everything Else
Best Series — The Legend of Kitchen Soldier
Best Actor — Park Hae-soo – The Scarecrow
Best Actress — Shin Hye-sun – The Art of Sarah
Best Supporting Actor — Yoon Kyung-ho – The Legend of Kitchen Soldier
Best Supporting Actress — Park Bo-kyung – The Art of Sarah
Best New Actor — Kim Jae-won – Yumi’s Cells 3
Best New Actress — Jeon So-young – If Wishes Could Kill
The stars most beloved by the public
The Maru Five Popular Star Award, an honor also connected to audience support, was presented to four much-loved personalities:
Byeon Woo-seok;
Go Youn-jung;
Yoo Jae-suk;
Lee Su-ji.
The presence of Yoo Jae-suk and Lee Su-ji demonstrates that the Blue Dragon Series Awards celebrate not only K-drama actors, but also leading figures in Korean comedy and entertainment programs.
What are the Blue Dragon Series Awards and why are they considered one of the most important awards in South Korean entertainment?
Created to tell the story of the streaming revolution, the Blue Dragon Series Awards have become one of the most eagerly awaited events in the South Korean audiovisual industry in just a few years. It is a major ceremony capable of bringing together K-drama stars, entertainment program personalities and original productions from the leading digital platforms.
Their Korean name is 청룡시리즈어워즈 – Cheongryong Series Awards and literally means “Blue Dragon Awards dedicated to series.” In East Asian tradition, the Blue Dragon is a symbolic figure associated with strength, rebirth and renewal. It is a particularly fitting image for an award created to represent the new era of Korean entertainment.
An award created for the world of streaming
The Blue Dragon Series Awards were established in 2022 by Sports Chosun, the same group that organizes the historic Blue Dragon Film Awards. Their creation was linked to the transformation of the South Korean audiovisual market. Audiences were no longer watching only series broadcast by traditional television channels: platforms such as Netflix, Disney+, TVING, Wavve, Coupang Play, Apple TV+ and WATCHA were profoundly changing how content was produced and distributed.
Titles such as Squid Game, D.P., Kingdom and Hellbound had won over millions of viewers worldwide, demonstrating that Korean productions were no longer a phenomenon limited to Asia, but one of the most dynamic forces in international entertainment. However, South Korea still lacked a major ceremony devoted exclusively to this new universe. Original content from streaming platforms had different production and distribution characteristics compared with traditional television series and needed an independent space in which to be recognized. The Blue Dragon Series Awards were created to meet this need: the first major South Korean awards specifically designed to celebrate original productions from OTT platforms.
The connection with the Blue Dragon Film Awards
To understand the prestige of the Blue Dragon Series Awards, it is necessary to begin with the history of the Blue Dragon Film Awards, founded in 1963 to support the quality and development of South Korean cinema. Over the decades, the Blue Dragon has become one of the most authoritative symbols of the Korean film industry. Receiving that award means becoming part of a history that includes some of the country’s greatest directors and performers.
With the creation of the Series Awards, the Blue Dragon brand extended this tradition to the digital world.
The two ceremonies, however, remain distinct:
the Blue Dragon Film Awards honor films intended for theatrical release;
the Blue Dragon Series Awards celebrate original series and programs from streaming platforms.
The Series Awards are therefore not a secondary category of the film awards, but an independent ceremony with its own nominations, categories and jury.
What is honored?
The Blue Dragon Series Awards are not devoted exclusively to K-dramas; the ceremony includes two main sections:
The first concerns fictional series and presents awards such as:
Best Series;
Best Actor;
Best Actress;
Best Supporting Actor and Actress;
Best New Actor and Actress.
The second is reserved for entertainment programs distributed through streaming:
Best Entertainment Program;
Best Male Entertainer;
Best Female Entertainer;
Best New Entertainers.
These categories are joined by popularity awards and the Blue Dragon’s Choice, equivalent to the prestigious Daesang, the ceremony’s Grand Prize.
The Daesang may be awarded to an individual or an entire work that has represented the television and digital year in a particularly meaningful way. It does not simply coincide with the award for Best Actor, Best Actress or Best Series: it is a higher honor, reserved for whoever or whatever has left the deepest mark on that year’s edition.
Five editions, five historic moments
The first edition in 2022
The first Blue Dragon Series Awards ceremony was held on July 19, 2022, at Paradise City in Incheon.
It was hosted by Jun Hyun-moo, one of the best-known presenters on Korean television, and YoonA, a member of Girls’ Generation and a successful actress. Their rapport won over the audience, and the duo was confirmed as hosts for every subsequent edition through 2026. The first edition honored some of the productions that had contributed most significantly to the international explosion of K-dramas. The award for Best Series went to D.P., while Lee Jung-jae won Best Actor for Squid Game and Kim Go-eun won Best Actress for Yumi’s Cells.
Among the newcomers, Koo Kyo-hwan was honored for D.P. and Jung Ho-yeon for Squid Game.
From the very first edition, the mission of the awards was clear: to recognize artistic quality, narrative innovation and the ability of Korean productions to reach international audiences.
2023 and the first Daesang
The second edition was held on July 19, 2023, and introduced the ceremony’s most prestigious honor: the Blue Dragon’s Choice – Daesang.
The first Grand Prize in the history of the Series Awards was presented to Song Hye-kyo for The Glory.
Her portrayal of Moon Dong-eun, a woman scarred by school violence who devotes her life to revenge, revealed an entirely new side of the actress. The Daesang recognized not only the series’ worldwide success, but also the courage and maturity of her artistic performance.
The award for Best Series went to Big Bet. Ha Jung-woo won Best Actor, while Bae Suzy was named Best Actress for Anna.
2024 and the triumph of Moving
At the third edition, held on July 19, 2024, the Daesang was awarded to Moving. For the first time, the highest honor did not go to an individual performer, but to an entire production. The Disney+ series had captivated audiences by blending superpowers, action, love and family relationships.
The award for Best Series went to Daily Dose of Sunshine, a sensitive story set in a psychiatric ward.
Im Si-wan won Best Actor for Boyhood, while Park Bo-young received the Best Actress award for Daily Dose of Sunshine.
This edition demonstrated that the Blue Dragon was not looking only for spectacular productions, but also for stories capable of addressing mental health and the vulnerabilities of contemporary society with sensitivity.
2025 and the success of When Life Gives You Tangerines
The fourth edition was held on July 18, 2025.
The Daesang was awarded to When Life Gives You Tangerines, a series capable of portraying love, family and the passage of time through a narrative deeply connected to the history and culture of Jeju Island.
IU won the Best Actress award, while Ju Ji-hoon was named Best Actor for The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call. The latter production also won the award for Best Series. Culinary Class Wars triumphed in the entertainment category, confirming the growing international success of Korean culinary programs.
The 2026 edition: Kim Go-eun and Yoon Kyung-ho’s tears
The fifth edition was held on July 31, 2026, at Chroma at Paradise City in Incheon and was broadcast live on KBS2. The most important moment of the evening was the Daesang awarded to Kim Go-eun for the Netflix series You and Everything Else. There was also great emotion for Yoon Kyung-ho, who burst into tears after receiving the Best Supporting Actor award for The Legend of Kitchen Soldier.
Why have they become so important?
Although they were established only in 2022, the Blue Dragon Series Awards quickly gained prestige for several reasons. First, they carry the authority of the Blue Dragon name, which has been connected to the history of South Korean cinema for more than sixty years. They also faithfully represent the changes taking place within the industry. Korean series are no longer produced solely for domestic audiences: they are designed to be distributed simultaneously across many countries and to connect with viewers from different cultures. The awards also recognize the work of performers who do not always occupy the center of the stage. The categories dedicated to supporting actors and newcomers make it possible to celebrate those performers whose presence can make a story believable and memorable. Finally, the Series Awards combine artistic prestige with popular participation. Alongside the jury’s decisions, there are awards connected to audience support, creating a dialogue between industry professionals and the public.
The modern face of the Blue Dragon
The Blue Dragon Series Awards tell the story of contemporary Korea: a nation that has transformed its stories, language and cultural identity into a global phenomenon. Each edition celebrates not only the most famous actors, but also observes how K-dramas are changing, which platforms are emerging and which new perspectives are winning over audiences. While the historic Blue Dragon Film Awards preserve the great tradition of Korean cinema, the Blue Dragon Series Awards represent its younger, digital and international face.
They are the awards of an era in which a story born in Seoul can move a viewer in Rome, Madrid, New York or Buenos Aires at the very same moment. It is precisely this ability to bring distant worlds together that makes the Blue Dragon one of the most fascinating symbols of South Korea’s new cultural industry today.
