The 5th Blue Dragon Series Awards is set to celebrate the best of Korean streaming content, with the final nominees officially announced. The awards ceremony will take place on July 31, 2026, at Chroma, Paradise City in Incheon, broadcasting live on KBS 2TV at 8:30 PM KST.
The Scarecrow leads this year’s nominations with six nods across major categories. The ENA drama earned nominations for Best Drama, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best New Actor, and Best New Actress.
The Legend of Kitchen Soldier follows closely with four nominations, including Best Drama and Best Actor for Park Ji Hoon. Made in Korea, Yumi’s Cells 3, and You and Everything Else complete the Best Drama lineup.
How to Vote in the Blue Dragon Series Awards 2026
Public voting for the final winners runs from July 2 to July 30 through the Celeb Champ app. The results carry the same weight as one expert judge’s vote, giving fans significant influence in determining the winners.
This final voting phase follows the initial selection process, which combined public online voting from June 17 to 30 with evaluations from Sports Chosun entertainment reporters and industry experts. Organizers reported record-high participation rates among experts during the first-round evaluation.
Voters can cast their ballots across 12 categories, including Best Drama, Best Actor and Actress, Supporting Actor and Actress, New Actor and Actress categories, as well as variety show divisions.
Where to Watch the Blue Dragon Series Awards 2026
The 5th Blue Dragon Series Awards takes place on July 31 at 8:30 PM KST at Chroma, Paradise City in Incheon. Viewers worldwide can watch the live broadcast through KBS 2TV.
KBS 2TV is available through various cable providers in South Korea. International fans can check local KBS World schedules for potential delayed or live broadcasts in their regions.
Before the main ceremony, a handprint event featuring winners from the 4th edition will take place on July 7 at 11:00 AM KST at CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall.
Best Drama Nominees
The Best Drama category features five standout streaming originals released between June 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026:
- Made in Korea (Disney+) – starring Hyun Bin
- Yumi’s Cells 3 (TVING)
- You and Everything Else (Netflix) – starring Kim Go Eun
- The Legend of Kitchen Soldier (TVING) – starring Park Ji Hoon
- The Scarecrow (ENA/Genie TV) – starring Park Hae Soo
Best Actor and Best Actress Nominees
Best Actor
Five top actors compete for the Best Actor trophy:
- Kim Seon Ho – Can This Love Be Translated?
- Kim Woo Bin – Genie, Make A Wish
- Park Ji Hoon – The Legend of Kitchen Soldier
- Park Hae Soo – The Scarecrow
- Hyun Bin – Made in Korea
Best Actress
The Best Actress category features an equally competitive lineup:
- Go Youn Jung – Can This Love Be Translated?
- Kim Go Eun – You and Everything Else
- Park Bo Young – Gold Land
- Park Ji Hyun – You and Everything Else
- Shin Hye Sun – The Art of Sarah / Lady Dua
Supporting Actor and Newcomer Categories
Best Supporting Actor
The Supporting Actor nominees include:
- Yoon Kyung Ho – The Legend of Kitchen Soldier
- Lee Kwang Soo – Gold Land
- Lee Sang Yi – The Legend of Kitchen Soldier
- Jung Moon Sung – The Scarecrow
- Jin Sun Kyu – Love Horse / Aema
Best Supporting Actress
- Kwak Sun Young – The Scarecrow
- Moon Jung Hee – Gold Land
- Park Bo Kyung – Lady Dua
- Seo Eun Soo – Made in Korea
- Im Soo Jung – Low Life
Best New Actor
- Kim Jae Won – Yumi’s Cells 3
- Kim Jin Wook – Low Life
- Baek Sun Ho – If Wishes Could Kill / Girigo
- Song Geon Hee – The Scarecrow
- Lee Hong Nae – The Legend of Kitchen Soldier
Best New Actress
- Kim Min – Low Life
- Bang Hyo Rin – Love Horse
- Seo Ji Hye – The Scarecrow
- Arin – S LINE
- Jeon So Young – If Wishes Could Kill
Variety Show Nominees
The variety show categories feature popular programs from streaming platforms:
Best Variety Show
- Screwballs 4 – Netflix
- Better Late Than Single – Netflix
- Jae Seok’s B&B Rules! – Netflix
- The White Collars 2 – Coupang Play
- Culinary Class Wars 2 – Netflix
Best Male Entertainer
- Kim Won Hun – SNL Korea 8
- Shin Dong Yup – SNL Korea 8
- Yu Jae Seok – Jae Seok’s B&B Rules!
- Lee Kwang Soo – Jae Seok’s B&B Rules!
- Joo Woo Jae – Screwballs 4
Yoo Jae Seok’s nomination is notable following his exclusion from the Male Variety Award nominees at the Baeksang Arts Awards, which generated significant discussion.
Best Female Entertainer
- Kim Sook – Screwballs 4
- Lee Soo Ji – SNL Korea 8
- Lee Eun Ji – Better Late Than Single
- Jung Yi Rang – Sisters’ Tea Room
- Ji Ye Eun – Jae Seok’s B&B Rules!
Best New Male Entertainer
- Kim Kyu Won – SNL Korea 8
- Kim Seon Ho – Bonjour Bakery
- Byeon Woo Seok – Jae Seok’s B&B Rules!
- Car, the Garden – Better Late Than Single
- Hu Deok Juk – Culinary Class Wars 2
Singer Car, the Garden expressed his reaction to the nomination, stating: “It was such a pleasure to be nominated. I felt grateful that this program led to such an opportunity. I’m satisfied just being among the nominees. It was truly exciting. It was enjoyable to be nominated alongside Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Seon-ho. I felt like I’m living my life quite well.”
Best New Female Entertainer
- Kim Si Hyun – Culinary Class Wars 2
- Kim Ye Won – EXchange 4
- Shim Ja Yoon – The White Collars 2
- Ahn Joo Mi – SNL Korea 8
- Choi Mina Sue – Single’s Inferno 5
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OST Popularity Award Voting
The OST Popularity Award voting also runs through the Celeb Champ app. Preliminary voting to narrow down the top 20 candidates took place from June 17 to 30, with final voting now underway.
The OST Popularity Award results combine 80% fan voting with 20% media panel evaluation. This marks the second consecutive year the award has been hosted through Celeb Champ.
The Blue Dragon Series Awards, established in 2022 by Sports Chosun, is Korea’s first awards ceremony specifically honoring streaming platform content. The ceremony recognizes dramas and variety shows from platforms including Netflix, Disney+, TVING, Coupang Play, Wavve, and ENA/Genie TV.
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