Industry

The vertical drama industry gathered in Los Angeles on April 23 for its first-ever live awards ceremony, as the Vertical Drama Love Fan Awards took place at the El Portal Theatre . The inaugural event, presented by FlareFlow—the world’s fastest-growing vertical drama platform, with over 33 million users—brought together creators, performers, media executives and fans to celebrate one of the most dynamic storytelling formats in global entertainment.
Founded and independently run by Jen Cooper, creator of the @VerticalDramaLove platform, the awards recognised outstanding performances, writing and production across English-language vertical drama series released in 2025. All nominations, shortlists and winners were determined exclusively by fans, reinforcing what Cooper identifies as the true driving force behind the industry.

“The entire industry exists because audiences around the world are watching, sharing and supporting these stories. These awards were created to reflect that, giving fans a meaningful voice in celebrating the talent they love.” — Jen Cooper, Founder, Vertical Drama Love Fan Awards
Fans from more than 100 countries submitted nominations and votes, with participation spanning six continents, including Albania, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States. All votes were independently verified prior to final confirmation, with a strict one-vote-per-person policy, monitoring of email and IP data, and both AI-assisted and manual reviews ensuring fairness and integrity.

As presenting partner, FlareFlow had no influence over nominations, voting or results. The partnership did introduce a new category exclusive to the platform: the FlareFlow Spark Award, recognising a production company or creator that took a bold creative risk in 2025, whether in structure, genre, casting or storytelling approach.

“Vertical drama has become a global phenomenon because audiences embraced it long before the traditional industry took notice. The speed at which fans discover shows, champion actors and build communities around these stories has driven the format’s rapid global expansion. At FlareFlow, we have always believed that fans are the real engine of this ecosystem. Supporting the Vertical Drama Love Fan Awards is our way of acknowledging that reality. The format belongs to the audience as much as it does to the creators, and this was a moment to celebrate that.” — Amy Sullivan, Head of U.S. Development, FlareFlow

The first live ceremony attracted six sponsors, highlighting the growing commercial and creative interest in the vertical drama space. Alongside FlareFlow, the event was supported by BuzzFeed Studios and Halogen Cinema—part of BuzzFeed Studios’ Vertical division, behind some of the most successful digital vertical series—as well as Eris Talent, The Almery Group, Califino Tequila, Zak Barnett Studios and The Vertical Buzz Podcast.

The evening featured fan-driven award categories celebrating the shows, performances and characters that defined the genre over the past year, alongside clips from the format’s biggest hits and fan stories from around the globe. The ceremony was attended by leading figures in the microdrama industry, including Eric Guilmette, Noah Fearnley, Sam Myerson, Nicole Mattox, Mariah Moss and Seth Edeen. A cocktail reception following the ceremony brought together creators, actors, producers and executives shaping the next chapter of the vertical storytelling industry.