IU, Park Bo-young, Park Hyung-sik, Park Bo-gum, and more nominated at the 16th Korea Drama Awards: Complete list of nominees

16th Korea Drama Awards (Image via Korea Drama Festival)
16th Korea Drama Awards (Image via Korea Drama Festival)

The 16th Korea Drama Awards has officially announced its nominees for 2025 on August 28, 2025. The awards ceremony will serve as the main program of the Korea Drama Festival, which is scheduled to take place from October 10 to 19 in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province.

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The Korea Drama Awards will recognize the standout achievements of Korean television over the past year. It is to celebrate both fresh talent and established names across broadcast and streaming platforms. With a wide range of nominees across genres and platforms, the upcoming ceremony is set to showcase the industry’s most acclaimed works and performances.


16th Korea Drama Awards announces full list of nominees across seven major categories

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A total of 92 dramas, along with their actors and production staff, that aired in the past year on major terrestrial broadcasters, have been nominated. These broadcasters included cable channels, general programming networks, and OTT platforms such as Netflix and Disney Plus.

The nominees were selected by the festival’s organizing committee and an expert panel of judges. The awards would be presented across seven categories, including Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Picture, Excellence in Acting Awards, and Newcomer recognitions. Here is the complete list of nominees:

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Best New Actor Nominees for the 16th Korea Drama Awards

  • Kang You-seok (Resident Playbook, When Life Gives You Tangerines, Law and The City)
  • Kim Min-kyu (BITCH X RICH 2)
  • Ryeoun (Namib, A History of Losers, Weak Hero Class 2)
  • Bae Na-ra (Weak Hero Class 2, Tastefully Yours)
  • Choo Young-woo (The Tale of Lady Ok, Head Over Heels)
  • Heo Nam-jun (When the Phone Rings, When the Stars Gossip)

Best New Actress Nominees for the 16th Korea Drama Awards

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  • Kim Eun-bi (Our Movie)
  • Roh Jeong-eui (The Witch, Crushology 101)
  • Shin Si-ah (Resident Playbook)
  • Chung Su-bin (Friendly Rivalry)
  • Chae Won-bin (Doubt)
  • Hong Hwa-yeon (Buried Hearts, Tastefully Yours, I Am A Running Mate)

Best Picture Nominees for the 16th Korea Drama Awards

  • Good Boy
  • The Haunted Palace
  • Love Scout
  • Tastefully Yours
  • Our Unwritten Seoul
  • Buried Hearts
  • Doubt
  • Resident Playbook

Excellence in Acting Award (Male) Nominees for 16th Korea Drama Awards

  • Park Jin-young (The Witch, Our Unwritten Seoul)
  • Lee Jun-young (Melo Movie, When Life Gives You Tangerines, Weak Hero Class 2, Pump Up the Healthy Love)
  • Lee Hyun-wook (Shark: The Storm, The Queen Who Crowns)
  • Park Ji-hoon (Weak Hero Class 2)
  • Jung Jun-won (Resident Playbook)
  • Choi Woo-shik (Melo Movie)
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Excellence in Acting Award (Female) Nominees for 16th Korea Drama Awards

  • Kim So-hyun (Good Boy)
  • Kim Ji-yeon (The Haunted Palace)
  • Go Youn-jung (Resident Playbook)
  • Hyeri (Friendly Rivalry)
  • Cha Joo-young (The Queen Who Crowns)
  • Han Ji-eun (When the Stars Gossip, Study Group)
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Best Actor Nominees for the 16th Korea Drama Awards

  • Kang Ha-neul (Squid Game 2, Squid Game 3, Tastefully Yours)
  • Park Bo-gum (When Life Gives You Tangerines, Good Boy)
  • Park Hyung-sik (Buried Hearts, Twelve)
  • Yook Sung-jae (The Haunted Palace)
  • Ahn Jae-wook (For Eagle Brothers)
  • Yoo Yeon-seok (When the Phone Rings)

Best Actress Nominees for the 16th Korea Drama Awards

  • Park Bo-young (Our Unwritten Seoul)
  • Lee Se-young (What Comes After Love, Motel California)
  • IU (When Life Gives You Tangerines)
  • Lim Ji-yeon (The Tale of Lady Ok)
  • Chae Soo-bin (When the Phone Rings)
  • Han Ji-min (Heavenly Ever After, Love Scout)
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Hot Star Award (Male) Nominees for 16th Korea Drama Awards

  • Byun Woo-seok
  • Lee Joon-hyuk
  • Hwang In-yeop
  • Lee Jun-young
  • Chu Young-woo
  • Park Bo-gum
  • Joo Ji-hoon
  • Jung Jun-won
  • Kang Yu-seok
  • Park Jin-young

Hot Star Award (Female) Nominees for 16th Korea Drama Awards

  • IU
  • Kim Hye-yoon
  • Kim Ji-won
  • Jeong Su-bin
  • Jo Bo-ah
  • Jo Yi-hyun
  • Park Bo-young
  • Jung So-min
  • Lee Hye-ri
  • Kim So-hyun

Popular Couple Nominees for the 16th Korea Drama Awards

  • Lee Hye-ri & Jung Soo-bin (Friendly Rivalry)
  • Choo Young-woo & Jo Yi-hyun (Head Over Heels)
  • Park Jin-young & Lee Joon-hyuk (Our Unwritten Seoul)
  • Han Ji-min & Yoo Yeon-seok (When the Phone Rings)
  • Chae Soo-bin & Jung Yu-mi & Ju Ji-hoon (Love Your Enemy)
  • Park Bo-gum & Kim So-hyun (Good Boy)
  • Jung Hae-in & Jung So-min (Love Next Door)
  • Lee Se-young & Kentaro Sakaguchi (What Comes After Love)
  • Lee Jae-wook & Jo Bo-ah (Dear Hongrang)
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Multitainer (Celeb Champ) – Ranking Snapshot Nominees for 16th Korea Drama Awards

  • Park Jae-chan
  • Park Ji-hoon
  • Jisoo
  • Lee Hye-ri
  • Lee Jun-young
  • Park Jin-young
  • Yoon San-ha
  • Xiumin
  • IU
  • Kim Ji-yeon

Global Star – Ranking Snapshot Nominees for 16th Korea Drama Awards

  • Byun Woo-seok
  • Lee Hye-ri
  • Kim Hye-yoon
  • Park Bo-gum
  • Lee Jae-wook
  • Kim Ji-won
  • Joo Ji-hoon
  • Kim Seon-ho
  • Kim So-hyun
  • Jeong Su-bin

OST Nominees for 16th Korea Drama Awards

  • Unknown Life – Youngtak
  • I’ll Hug You – Son Tae-jin
  • Close to You – Jin
  • Backpacker – Seok Matthew, Park Geon-wook (ZEROBASEONE)
  • When the Day Comes – TXT (Tomorrow X Together)
  • It Exploded – Park Seo-jin
  • More Beautiful – Lim Young-woong
  • Don’t Stop – PLAVE
  • In You – Hong Isaac
  • Forever – Do Kyung-soo
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Voting for the Korea Drama Awards opens on August 28, runs until September 22

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On August 28, the Korea Drama Festival Organizing Committee confirmed that public voting for the main awards is open from August 28 to September 22. It will be conducted until 11:59 pm KST on September 22, with results based on a weighted scoring system.

Fans can participate in the process, which will help determine this year’s winners across the main award categories. Fan votes will account for 10% of the final results, and the judging panel’s evaluation will make up the remaining 90%.

Alongside the award ceremony, the festival will feature a range of events, including a drama storytelling forum, a K-drama history exhibition, a script program, and a music festival.

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Edited by Bharath S
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