The 2025 Global OTT Awards celebrated outstanding achievements in digital content from across Asia. The ceremony took place on August 24, 2025, at the Busan Cinema Center in South Korea. This event was organized by South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT and the Busan Metropolitan City. It was co-hosted by the Korea International Streaming Festival (KISF) and the National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA).
The awards recognized excellence in various categories, including acting, directing, writing, and technical achievements. The night belonged to the Netflix series When Life Gives You Tangerines, which won multiple awards. Other major winners included The First Frost and Northward. Actors like Bai Jingting and Park Eun Bin were among the honorees.
Here is the complete list of winners from the 2025 Global OTT Awards.
Full List of Winners
Best Creative
Winner: When Life Gives You Tangerines (Netflix)
Other Nominees:
- Black Warrant (Netflix)
- Mad Unicorn (Netflix)
- Northward (iQIYI)
- Our Unwritten Seoul (tvN)
Best OTT Original
Winner: Nine Puzzles (Disney+)
Other Nominees:
- Born for the Spotlight (Netflix)
- Family Matters (Coupang Play)
- The First Frost (Youku)
- Study Group (TVING)
- Yesterday’s You (Viu)
Best Asian Content
Winner: The Outlaw Doctor (PTS Taiwan, Chunghwa Telecom, and GrX Studio)
Other Nominees:
- 4°C (TV+)
- Saving Grace (Prime Video)
- Timeless Love Letters for My Classmates (YOMIURI TELECASTING)
- What If (Viu)
Best Reality & Variety
Winner: WORLD OF STREET WOMAN FIGHTER (TVING)
Other Nominees:
- Kian’s Bizarre B&B (Netflix)
- Old Taste Detective 5 (meWATCH)
- SNL Korea Season 7 (Coupang Play)
Best Director
Winner: Yao Xiaofeng for Northward (iQIYI)
Other Nominees:
- SIM Nayeon for GOOD BOY (JTBC)
- Nottapon Boonprakob for Mad Unicorn (Netflix)
- Volodymyr Yanoshchuk for THE TRAIN (channel DIM)
- Kim Won Seok for When Life Gives You Tangerines (Netflix)
Best Writer
Winner: Im Sang Chun for When Life Gives You Tangerines (Netflix)
Other Nominees:
- Tokyo Koji and Ichinohe Yoshino for Light of My Lion (TBS)
- Kangfull for Light Shop (Disney+)
- Chang Shihsien and Wen Yufang for The Outlaw Doctor (PTS+)
- Lee Kang for Our Unwritten Seoul (tvN)
- Ho Ching Yi for What If (Viu)
Best Lead Actor (Male)
Winner: Sakaguchi Kentaro for What Comes After Love (Coupang Play)
Other Nominees:
- Berik Aitzhanov for 4°C (TV+)
- Bai Jingting for The First Frost (Youku)
- Park Bo Gum for GOOD BOY (JTBC)
- Natara Nopparatayapon for Mad Unicorn (Netflix)
- Ju Ji Hoon for The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call (Netflix)
Best Lead Actor (Female)
Winner: Park Eun Bin for Hyper Knife (Disney+)
Other Nominees:
- Bai Lu for Northward (iQIYI)
- Park Bo Young for Our Unwritten Seoul (tvN)
- IU for When Life Gives You Tangerines (Netflix)
- Hirose Suzu for Who Saw the Peacock Dance in the Jungle? (TBS)
Best Supporting Actor (Male)
Winner: Oh Jung Se for GOOD BOY (JTBC)
Other Nominees:
- Wang Qianyuan for DRIFTING AWAY (iQIYI)
- Francis Ng for Escape From the Trilateral Slopes (Youku)
- Bando Ryota for Light of My Lion (TBS)
- Choi Dae Hoon for When Life Gives You Tangerines (Netflix)
Best Supporting Actor (Female)
Winner: Yeom Hye Ran for When Life Gives You Tangerines (Netflix)
Other Nominees:
- Chung Hsin Ling for Born for the Spotlight (Netflix)
- Wen Qi for I Am Nobody: The Showdown Between Yin & Yang (Youku)
- Ono Machiko for Light of My Lion (TBS)
- Jang Young Nam for Our Unwritten Seoul (tvN)
Best Newcomer (Male)
Winner: Kang You Seok for Resident Playbook (tvN)
Other Nominees:
- Zahan Kapoor for Black Warrant (Netflix)
- Hirunkit Changkham for High School Frenemy (GMM25)
- Wongravee Nateetorn for High School Frenemy (GMM25)
- Shi Pengyuan for A Life For A Life (iQIYI)
- Choo Young Woo for The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call (Netflix)
Best Newcomer (Female)
Winners: Suri Lin for Born for the Spotlight (Netflix) and Chung Su Bin for Friendly Rivalry (U+ Mobile TV)
Other Nominees:
- Xu Ruohan for The Best Thing (iQIYI)
- Lee Su Hyun for Family Matters (Coupang Play)
Best Visual Effects
Winner: I Am Nobody: The Showdown Between Yin & Yang (Youku)
Other Nominees:
- Heavenly Ever After (JTBC)
- Light Shop (Disney+)
- What a Wonderful World (iQIYI)
Best Original Song
Winner: Elf (Ado) for Who Saw the Peacock Dance in the Jungle? (TBS)
Other Nominees:
- Heavenly Ever After (Lim Young-woong) for Heavenly Ever After (JTBC)
- Willful (MAYDAY) for The First Frost (Youku)
- Hush of Sunset (10CM) for Our Unwritten Seoul (tvN)
- When the Day Comes (TOMORROW X TOGETHER) for Resident Playbook (tvN)
Creative Beyond Borders
Winner: Life Line
New Technology
Winner: Binge Korea
Rising Star of the Year
Winners: Shi Pengyuan for A Life For A Life (iQIYI) and Lee Su Hyun for Family Matters (Coupang Play)
People’s Choice Award
Winners: Bai Jingting for The First Frost (YOUKU) and Bai Lu for Northward (iQIYI)
Key Highlights
When Life Gives You Tangerines was a big winner of the night. It took home awards for Best Creative, Best Writer, and Best Supporting Actress. The series is a Netflix original written by Im Sang Chun. It tells a story that mixes drama and life lessons. The show has been praised for its storytelling and acting.
Bai Jingting won the People’s Choice Award for his role in The First Frost. This Chinese drama has been a global hit. It is based on a popular novel and stars Bai Jingting and Zhang Ruonan. The series explores themes of love and healing. It has broken records on streaming platforms like Youku and Netflix.
Park Eun Bin won Best Lead Actress for her role in Hyper Knife. She is known for her powerful performances in South Korean dramas. Another South Korean star, Oh Jung Se, won Best Supporting Actor for GOOD BOY.
Kang You Seok won Best Newcomer (Male) for Resident Playbook. He thanked his co-star Han Yeji during his acceptance speech. He acknowledged her hard work and support.
The award for Best Director went to Yao Xiaofeng for Northward. This Chinese series also won a People’s Choice Award for its lead actress Bai Lu.
Family Matters, a South Korean thriller series, had two nominations. Lee Su Hyun won the Rising Star of the Year award for her role in the show. The series features Bae Doona and Ryu Seung Bum. It tells the story of a family with special abilities.
Lee Su Hyun expressed her gratitude, saying, “I am deeply honored to receive this award. I thank the directors and my fellow cast members for their support.”
The Global OTT Awards highlight the growing influence of streaming content from Asia. The ceremony brings together talent from various countries. It shows the diversity and creativity in the industry.
The event was attended by many actors, directors, and industry professionals. Fans from around the world watched the ceremony online. The awards have become a key event in the entertainment calendar.
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Credits: Netflix, iQIYI
