The Seoul International Drama Awards (SDA) celebrates its 20th edition this year with a strong lineup of global talent and top-tier programming. The SDA Organizing Committee announced the finalists for its International Competition Category, with 24 programs and 32 individuals selected from 276 entries across 50 countries.
Netflix’s Adolescence and Apple TV+’s Pachinko S2 lead the pack with four nominations each, including nods for Best Director and Best Screenwriter. The star-studded individual categories feature renowned figures such as Hirokazu Kore-eda (Asura), Cate Blanchett (Disclaimer), Adam Scott (Severance S2), and rising talent Owen Cooper (Adolescence).
Highlights in the Miniseries category include Adolescence, Pachinko S2, and Netflix’s One Hundred Years of Solitude, based on the iconic novel by Gabriel García Márquez. In the TV Movie category, local Korean productions like To My Lonely Sister and titles from CJ ENM face international entries from Czech Television and Italy’s RAI. Meanwhile, the Series category puts a spotlight on regional hits from Korea (For Eagle Brothers), Türkiye (The Nightfall), and Singapore (Emerald Hill – The Little Nyonya Story).
The SDA 2025 ceremony will be broadcast live on October 2nd via SBS and YouTube, followed by public events at Banpo Hangang and Songpa Naru Parks (Oct 3–4), including drama talk concerts, OST performances, and fan engagement zones.