Korean Disney+ series Moving led the pack at the revamped Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards in Busan on Sunday (October 8), winning six prizes including the top award.
The superhero spy series won best creative, best writer for Kang Full, best lead actor for Ryu Seung-ryong, best newcomer actor for Lee Jung-ha, best newcomer actress for Go Yeon Jung and best visual effects. It won all the awards for which it was nominated.
Scroll down for full list of winners
It marks the latest boost for the 20-episode series, which became the most watched Korean original on Disney+ globally and on Hulu in the US when it launched on August 9, based on hours streamed after seven days. Adapted from a hit webtoon by Kang Full, it follows a group of spies who band together to protect their children, who are developing superpowers, when an assassin begins killing super-powered individuals.
Actors Lee and Ryu collected their awards in-person at the Busan Cinema Centre, where the covered outdoor theatre meant a rainy night could not dampen spirits and polished musical performances from K-pop girl group Alice and singer-songwriter Lee Seung-yoon gave the ceremony an additional lift.
Taking to the stage to collect the best lead actor award, Ryu said: “This feels really great since our Moving team shot the most bloody scenes in Busan but now I am so pleased to be here in my suit… My character Jang Joo-won is someone who was lost but he found a way out. I believe the real superpower of Moving is about understanding each other and having empathy. I’d like the thank the global audiences who responded and loved our drama. I hope your days will be filled with superpowers and miracles.”
Further headline awards included best OTT original, which was won by Korea’s Weak Hero Class 1, in which a model student uses his intellect to tackle violence both in and out of his school. It was released on Korean OTT platform wavve and is available on iQiyi in the US and Taiwan.
Best Asian TV series went to Netflix India’s hard-hitting crime drama series Scoop, directed by Hansal Mehta and based on the true story of reporter who is the prime suspect in the murder of another journalist. Karishma Tanna won best lead actress at the awards for her portrayal of the accused reporter.
Chinese crime drama The Long Season went into the night with five nominations, second only to Moving, and walked away with one. Xin Shuang was named best director for the Tencent Video streaming series, which centres on a murder case that has been open for nearly 20 years
Further winners included best supporting actor for Taiwan’s Hsueh Shih-Ling for his performance in Taiwan Crime Stories, and best supporting actress for Korea’s Lim Ji-yeon for her role in Netflix thriller series The Glory, which had gone into the night with four nods.
This year marked a reworking of the event, previously known simply as the Asia Contents Awards and held during Busan International Film Festival. It was launched in 2019 to celebrate outstanding TV, OTT and online content from across Asia.
Renamed the Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards (ACA & G.OTT Awards), the categories increased from 12 to 17 and accepted submissions from around the world, delivering nominations for US spy series Special Ops: Lioness including actress Zoe Saldana and writer Taylor Sheridan. However, it was Asia titles and talent that were the sole winners.
An honorary lifetime achievement award was posthumously given to the late Kim Jong-hak, a Korean director and producer of acclaimed drama series Eyes Of Dawn and Sandglass.
The Asian Excellence Award was given to Japanese actor Yuya Yagira for his performance in Disney+ horror-drama series Gannibal, which secured a second season last month. Yagira has worked extensively since his breakthrough role in 2004’s Nobody Knows by Hirokazu Kore-eda, for which he became the youngest ever winner of best actor at the Cannes Film Festival aged 14.
Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards 2023
Best Creative: Moving
Best OTT Original: Weak Hero Class 1
Best Asian TV Series: Scoop
Best Reality & Variety: Let’s Feast Vietnam / Physical: 100
Best Director: Xin Shuang, The Long Season
Best Writer: Kang Full, Moving
Best Lead Actor: Ryu Seung-ryong, Moving
Best Lead Actress: Karishma Tanna, Scoop
Best Supporting Actor: Hsueh Shih-Ling, Taiwan Crime Stories
Best Supporting Actress: Lim Ji-yeon, The Glory
Best Newcomer Actor: Lee Jung-ha, Moving
Best Newcomer Actress: Go Yeon Jung, Moving
Best Visual Effects: Moving
Creative Beyond Border: EXchange2 / One Day Off
New Technology: TVing
Special Contribution for K-Contents: Viu / wave Americas
Special Contribution for OTT Industry: Watcha
Lifetime Achievement Award: Kim Jong-hak
Asian Excellence Award: Yuya Yagita
Rising Star of the Year: Wen Jun
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