‘Adolescence’ & ‘Severance’ Win At Seoul International Drama Awards

Adolescence and Severance have backed up big nights at the Emmys by securing major prizes at the Seoul International Drama Awards.

Netflix’s acclaimed limited series won the Grand Prize, Best Director for Philip Barantini and Best Actor for Owen Cooper, who made history on Sunday by becoming the youngest ever male winner of a Primetime Emmy. Barantini shared his award with Hirokazu Kore-eda, who won for Asura, the Netflix Japan miniseries about four sisters.

Ben Stiller took home the Golden Bird Prize for Apple TV+’s Severance Season 2, which just won eight times at the Emmys. The award goes to shows have significantly made an impact on the drama industry, and Best Screenwriter. Last year, Park Chan-wook won for HBO series The Sympathizer.

The Seoul organizing committee said that despite being just 15 years old (and 13 at the time of filming), Adolescence star Cooper had “showcased extraordinary acting talent, establishing himself as one of the most promising next-generation actors.”

It added that Stiller’s “creative and outstanding direction best reflects the Seoul Drama Awards’ mission of presenting works that deepen understanding of humanity and inspire reflection on the path toward harmony.” Dan Erickson also won Best Screenwriter.

Severance explores what happens to a person when their identity is split between their ‘Innie’ work self and ‘Outie’ personal self at a creepy biotech company Lumen Industries. Made by Red Hour Productions, Fifth Season, Westward and Animals & People, it stars the likes of Adam Scott, Zach Cherry, Britt Lower and Tramell Tillman.

The four-part Adolescence follows the aftermath of the murder of a schoolgirl on the family of the child accused of the crime, with each episode shot as one continuous take. Cooper stars alongside the likes of co-writer Stephen Graham, Christine Tremarco, Ashley Walters and Erin Doherty. Warp Films is the producer for Netflix.

Pachinko Season 2 made it an ever better night for Apple TV+ by taking home the Best Miniseries and Best Actress for Minha Kim. She shared the prize with Cate Blanchett, for Disclaimer, another Apple show. Best on Min Jin Lee’s book, Pachinko explores the generational experiences of a Japanese family from the colonial period to the present, charting their migration journeys. Alfonso Cuarón’s Disclaimer follows a famed documentary journalist, who learns a dark secret of her own is being fictionalized in a novel.

Elsewhere at the Seoul awards last night, Netflix won several K-drama awards, including Outstanding Korean Drama in the K-Drama Competition category for webtoon adaptation The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call and elevated romance When Life Gives You Tangerines. Ji-hoon Ju won Outstanding Korean Actor for his role in Trauma Code, while IU won the Outstanding Korean Actress award for Tangerines.

Turkish drama The Good & The Bad, from Ay Yapim and for free-TV network Show, won Best Series. Starring Aras Bulut Iynemli and Uğur Polat, it follows a genius mathematician struggling to confront his father’s dangerous schemes.

Best TV Movie went to CJ ENM’s The Son, while Outstanding Asia Star went to several actors, including Seonho Kim for The Tyrant and Newtopia, Yu Bair for Bank on Me and Daniel Padilla for Incognito. Youngtak won the song category Outstanding Korean Drama O.S.T. for the contribution to KBS drama For Eagle Brothers.

A ceremony for 20th Seoul International Drama Awards will be held on October 2 via SBS TV and the awards’ official YouTube channel. Jury members this year included CAA agent Nicolas Lafferty, KBA drama producer Sinil Kim, director Yang Leo and TV Globo’s drama exec producer, Luciana Monteiro.