The 20205 APAN Star Awards are less than a month away! Fortunately, officials have announced the nominees for this year’s Korean drama awards. The highly anticipated ceremony has already brought up some of the biggest names of the K-drama industry, raising the stakes for an all-out-competition set to unfold on our small screens this December.
All South Korean drama that aired from November 2024 to October 2025 are eligible for the country’s only integrated drama awards ceremony. As a result, the show will be taking into consideration all channels of broadcast, including terrestrial, cable and OTT.
Organised by the Korea Entertainment Management Association and the Seoul Economic Promotion Agency, the SEOULCON APAN Star Awards are scheduled to be held on December 29 at the Art Hall 1, Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul. Billed as the biggest drama awards ceremony in the country, the APAN Star Awards will be broadcast via tvN.
The Best Drama category witnesses a clash between Netflix, tvN and JTBC dramas.
2025 APAN Star Awards nominees list
Best Drama
- The Tale of Lady Ok (JTBC)
- Bon Appetit, Your Majesty (tvN)
- Our Unwritten Seoul (tvN)
- You and Everything Else (Netflix)
- When Life Gives You Tangerines (Netflix)
Best New Actor
- Lee Chae Min for Bon Appetit, Your Majesty and Crushology 101
- Ryeoun for Namib and Weak Hero Class 2
- Kim Min Kyu for BITCH X RICH 2 and Love, Take Two
- Kim Yo Han for The Winning Try
- Kang You Seok for Resident Playbook
Best New Actress
- Ha Young for The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call and Face Me
- Yoon Seo Ah for Bon Appetit, Your Majesty and The Tale of Mrs Ok
- Shin Sia for Resident Playbook
- Hong Hwa Yeon for Buried Hearts, Tastefully Yours and I Am a Running Mate
- Bang Hyo Rin for Aema
Best Young Actor
- Lee Cheon Moo for When Life Gives You Tangerines
- Kim Si Ah for Walking on Thin Ice
- Kim Tae Yeon for When Live Gives You Tangerines
- Jo Dan for Villains Everywhere
- Moon Woo Jin for My Dearest Nemesis
Male Acting Award
- Sung Dong Il for Typhoon Family and The Art of Negotiation
- Lee Hae Young for Buried Hearts
- Choi Dae Hoon for Shin’s Project and When Life Gives You Tangerines
- Yoon Kyung Ho for The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call
- Ko Kyu Phil for Twelve and Genie, Make a Wish
Female Acting Award
- Yeom Hye Ran for When Life Gives You Tangerines and Law and The City
- Oh Na Ra for The Nice Guy and Villains Everywhere
- Kim Shin Rok for Tastefully Yours
- Kang Ae Shin for Squid Game 2, Squid Game 3 and Love, Take Two
- Won Mi Kyung for Our Unwritten Seoul
2025 APAN Star Awards: Mid-length drama
Male Top Excellence Award
- Park Bo Gum for Good Boy and When Life Gives You Tangerines
- Lee Junho for Typhoon Family
- Park Hyung Sik for Buried Hearts
- Kim Nam Gil for The Fiery Priest and Trigger
- Ju Ji Hoon for The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call and Love Your Enemy
Female Top Excellence Award
- Park Bo Young for Our Unwritten Seoul
- IU for When Life Gives You Tangerines
- Cha Joo Young for The Queen Who Crowns
- Kim Go Eun for You and Everything Else
- Lim Yoona for Bon Appetit, Your Majesty
Male Excellence Award
- Yoo Yeon Seok for When the Phone Rings
- Lee Joon Hyuk for Love Scout and Mercy for None
- Lee Jun Young for When Life Gives You Tangerines and Pump Up the Healthy Love
- Choo Young Woo for The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call and Head Over Heels
- Park Hae Joon for Love, Take Two and When Live Gives You Tangerines
2025 APAN Star Awards: Long-form drama
Male Top Excellence Award
- Ahn Jae Wook for For Eagle Brothers
- Son Chang Min for Good Luck
- Jung Il Woo for Our Golden Days
- Song Chang Eui for Desperate Mrs Seonju
- Hwang Dong Joo for Marie and Her Three Daddies
Female Top Excellence Award
- Uhm Ji Won for For Eagle Brothers
- Hahm Eun Jung for Queen’s House
- Park Ha Na for My Merry Marriage
- Jang Shin Young for The Woman Who Swallowed the Sun
- Han Groo for Cinderella Game
Male Excellence Award
- Seo Ha Joon for The Woman Who Swallowed the Sun
- Park Sang Nam for My Merry Marriage
- Kim Dong Wan for For Eagle Brothers
- Seo Jun Young for Queen’s House
- Yoon Hyun Min for Our Golden Day
Female Excellence Award
- Lee Tae Ran for Our Golden Days
- Jung In Sun for Our Golden Days
- Shim Yi Young for Desperate Mrs Seonju
- Park Eun Hye for Marie and Her Three Daddies
- Lee Shi Ah for A Graceful Liar
2025 APAN Star Awards: Short drama or web drama
Best Actor
- Park Su Oh for A Head Coach’s Turnover
- Park Sung Woong for A Head Coach’s Turnover
- Kim Ki Hyun for No MZ for Old Men
- Cha Sun Woo for He is Back and Competition with Me
- Lee Dong Gun for Useless Love
- Cha Hak Yeon for The Killer Next Door
- Jung Gun Joo for 2024 KBS Drama Special – the road in between
Best Actress
- Lee Hyeri for Friendly Rivalry
- Lee So Ji for No MZ for Old Men
- Ha Ye Eun for Gang Girl Goes to Boys High School
- Park Ha Sun for Psychopath Yeon Sun Jung and Useless Love