'When Life Gives You Tangerines' Wins Best Creative, Writer, and Supporting Actress Awards
"When Life Gives You Tangerines" has swept the awards once again.
The Global OTT Awards at the 2025 International Streaming Festival were held on the afternoon of August 24 at the outdoor theater of Busan Cinema Center. This global festival was co-hosted by the Korea International Streaming Festival (Co-Chairs Kim Bokkeun and Kim Sungchul) and the National IT Industry Promotion Agency.
The event was hosted by actor Joo Jonghyuk and announcer Lee Hyesung, and winners were selected in 14 competitive categories and 4 invited categories. The purpose of the festival is to establish a "Hall of Fame" that encompasses streaming platforms, creators, and content.
The Best Creative award, the festival's top honor, went to Netflix's "When Life Gives You Tangerines." The jury described it as "a lyrical epic where the four seasons of Jeju Island, events spanning modern history, and the actors' performances come together in harmony." The series also won the Writer Award (Lim Sangchun) and Best Supporting Actress (Yeom Hyeran), achieving a total of three awards. Yeom Hyeran received the Best Supporting Actress award for the second consecutive year, following her win last year for "Mask Girl."
The Best OTT Original award went to Disney+'s "Nine Puzzle," Best Asian Content went to PTS+'s "Hua Wai Zhi Yi," and Best Reality/Variety went to TVING's "World of Street Woman Fighter." The Best Director award was given to Director Yao Xiaofeng for iQIYI's "Heading North."
The Best Leading Actor award was given to Sakaguchi Kentaro (male) for Coupang Play's "What Comes After Love," and to Park Eunbin (female) for Disney+'s "Hyperknife." Sakaguchi received cheers for delivering his acceptance speech in Korean, and Park Eunbin said, "I will continue to pursue new challenges and seek out fun paths."
The Best Supporting Actor award (male) went to Oh Jungse for JTBC's "Good Boy." The international jury praised his performance, saying he "brilliantly embodied the essence of a pure villain."
The Newcomer Award was jointly given to Kang Yuseok for TVING's "Someday, Wise Resident Life," Jung Subin for U+ Mobile TV's "Competition of Goodwill," and Suri Lin for Netflix's "Spotlight Is Mine." In the technical categories, YOUKU's "Yi Ren Zhi Xia 2" won Best Digital VFX, and the song "Elf" (Ado) from TBS's "Who Saw the Peacock Dance?" won the Music Award.
Rising Star Award winners Lee Suhyun from Coupang Play's "Family Plan" and Sa Pengyuan from iQIYI's "Cha Ming Is Born."
The Rising Star Award went to Lee Suhyun from Coupang Play's "Family Plan" and Sa Pengyuan from iQIYI's "Cha Ming Is Born." The People's Choice Award, selected by audience vote, was awarded to Bai Jingting from YOUKU's "Nan Hong" and Bai Lu from iQIYI's "Heading North."
The 2025 International Streaming Festival opened on August 22 and will conclude on August 25. Having moved beyond its previous association with the Busan International Film Festival, it is now held as an independent event, showcasing the convergence of media, culture, and technology centered on OTT. The festival continues at the Busan Cinema Center and Paradise Hotel.
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