From Emmys to Seoul, ‘Severance’ and ‘Adolescence’ continue their winning streak

Marking its 20th anniversary, the 2025 Seoul International Drama Awards wrapped Thursday night in Seoul, with Apple TV+’s “Severance” and Netflix’s “Adolescence” emerging as one of night’s biggest winners.

The ceremony, hosted by the Seoul Drama Awards Organizing Committee and the Korean Broadcasters Association at KBS Hall in Yeouido, spotlighted 276 submissions from 50 countries. Honors were divided into three main sections: International Competition, K-Drama Competition and International Invitation.

The awards mirrored results from the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards. The Golden Bird Prize, the highest honor in the International Competition, went to Ben Stiller for directing “Severance” Season 2. The Apple TV+ dystopian workplace thriller, which led nominations at this year’s Emmys and won eight statuettes on Sept. 14, continued its winning streak -- and accepting via video, Stiller praised Korea’s storytelling legacy.

“This is an incredible honor to be recognized by such a prestigious organization, country that has such an incredible history of filmmaking in terms of just making amazing films that have been inspiring to me over the years. Filmmakers just lead the way in terms of telling stories that are human, aesthetically intricate and beautiful,” he said.

The Grand Prize in the International Competition was awarded to Netflix’s United Kingdom crime miniseries “Adolescence,” following a boy accused of murdering a schoolmate. The series, which had collected six Emmys, also earned Philip Barantini Best Director alongside Hirokazu Kore-eda for “Asura.” Owen Cooper, star of “Adolescence,” also took home Best Actor in the section.

In the Outstanding Asian Star category, the spotlight fell on Japanese heartthrob Kentaro Sakaguchi, who has been embroiled in a highly publicized dating scandal. Despite canceling scheduled appearances at the Busan International Film Festival following the breakout of the controversy, Sakaguchi made his first public remarks in Korea at SDA after accepting the Asia Star Award. Sakaguchi, having appeared in Korean series "What Comes After Love?", has been steadily gaining presence in the Korean entertainment scene.

“I am grateful to receive such an honorable and prestigious award. Being an actor is, surprisingly, a series of quiet, steady efforts rather than what it may appear on the surface. That’s why even now, I am putting my utmost care into each and every project I work on,” he said.

When emcee Ok Taec-yeon asked him about having a good dream the night before about receiving the award, Sakaguchi responded, “I was worried about how everyone would receive me, but when I walked the red carpet earlier, you all spoke to me so warmly and that made me very happy.”

In the K-Drama Competition, Netflix’s medical drama “The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call” and period drama “When Life Gives You Tangerines” shared the Outstanding Korean Drama prize. Ju Ji-hoon picked up Outstanding Korean Actor for his lead turn in “The Trauma Code,” while Lee Ji-eun (IU) won Outstanding Korean Actress for her dual roles as Ae-soon and Geum-myoung in “When Life Gives You Tangerines.”

The moment was underscored by a heartfelt handoff: Yeom Hye-ran, who played IU’s mother in the series and who won the same award last year, presented the trophy to Lee onstage.

The ceremony streamed live on YouTube and will air on SBS Friday at 6 p.m. Side events, including a Drama Talk Concert, OST concert, Golden Bell Quiz and large-scale screenings, will continue through the weekend at Banpo Hangang Park and Seokchon West Lake on Friday and Saturday.