The annual ceremony of the Seoul International Drama Awards will still push through virtually as the coronavirus pandemic is still on. The announcement was made by Seoul Drama Awards Organizing Committee Chairman Jeong Hoon Park, saying the awards show will be aired live from M.B.C. Media Center Public Hall on September 10.
In a Hellokpop report, the upcoming awards ceremony will be the first time in fifteen years that there will be no live audience, preventing the coronavirus spread. The new normal is in light of the South Korean government's new mandate and protocol in hosting a live show. Local candidates and presenters will only grace the said ceremony since most of the countries' respective borders are not yet open.
Furthermore, aside from the awards show, several additional segments will also be hosted by the organizing committee so that the virtual audiences will be able to take advantage of experiencing O.S.T. and other entries.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the distinguished awards show bottles up 212 TV shows from various countries. One hundred eight of them are from Asia, and seventy-five are from Europe. S.A.D. also highlighted that most of this year's submissions firmly supports female empowerment.
In a statement from the organizing committee chairman, the virtual ceremony was planned thoroughly so the audiences can still grasp the familiar feeling of attending the awards show live. They aim to protect the artists and audiences from the COVID-19, ensuring everyone will still enjoy the show.
The full list of candidates aspiring for the bragging rights of S.A.D. will be announced in August, with no disclosed specific date.
The notable Seoul International Drama Awards is a South Korean organized ceremony aiming to exchange culture ranges in the television drama scene. The awards show has been awarding various television dramas around the world for the last fourteen years, and this year will mark the fifteenth ceremony.