Anne Curtis, Kim Chiu, Paulo Avelino lead Filipino nominees at Seoul International Drama Awards 2026

By Jonathan Hicap

Published Jun 15, 2026 05:05 pm

Filipino stars are once again making their mark on the international stage as several local actors earned nominations at the 2026 Seoul International Drama Awards (SDA), one of Asia's most prestigious television awards events.

Among the biggest Filipino names nominated for the Outstanding Asian Star category are Anne Curtis, Paulo Avelino, Kim Chiu, Dingdong Dantes, Joshua Garcia, Gerald Anderson, Carlo Aquino, Angelica Panganiban, Bela Padilla, and Shaina Magdayao.

The nominations come as the SDA announced a record-breaking year, receiving 352 drama entries from 46 countries and regions—the highest number of submissions in the festival's history. The figure surpassed the previous record of 346 entries set in 2024 and is significantly higher than last year's 276 submissions.   

For Filipino fans, the spotlight is now on the Outstanding Asian Star voting, which officially opened on June 15 and will run until July 14 through the IdolChamp app.

A total of 23 Filipino actors and actresses are competing in the category, representing some of the country's most talked-about television projects.

The Philippine nominees are:

• Paulo Avelino ("The Alibi")
• Kim Chiu ("The Alibi")
• Anne Curtis ("It's Okay To Not Be Okay")
• Carlo Aquino ("It's Okay To Not Be Okay")
• Joshua Garcia ("Love Is Never Gone," "It's Okay To Not Be Okay")
• Dingdong Dantes ("The Master Cutter")
• Gerald Anderson ("Sins of the Father," "Blood vs Duty")
• Angelica Panganiban ("The Silent Noise")
• Bela Padilla ("Blood vs Duty")
• Shaina Magdayao ("Sins of the Father")
• Charlie Dizon ("What Lies Beneath")
• Kaila Estrada ("What Lies Beneath")
• JM De Guzman ("What Lies Beneath")
• Jake Cuenca ("What Lies Beneath")
• Ivana Alawi ("Love Is Never Gone")
• Zanjoe Marudo ("The Silent Noise")
• Amy Austria ("The First Vote")
• Anton Vinzon ("The Fist")
• Katrina Halili ("The Fist")
• Roi Vinzon ("The Fist")
• Max Collins ("The Master Cutter")
• JM Ibarra ("Ghosting")
• Sofia "Fyang" Smith ("Ghosting")

(Clockwise from top left) Doh Kyung-soo, Anne Curtis, Win Metawin Opasiamkajorn, Dilraba Dilmurat, Kazuya Kamenashi and Jisoo (Photos from SDA)

The Outstanding Asian Star award recognizes performers who have made a significant impact in six participating territories: the Philippines, South Korea, China, Japan, Singapore, and Thailand.

Meanwhile, South Korea's nominees include some of the biggest names in Hallyu today, including Jun Ji-hyun, Gang Dong-won, Kim Seon-ho, Go Youn-jung, Ji Chang-wook, Doh Kyung-soo, Kim Woo-bin, Suzy, Lim Yoon-a, Park Bo-young, and BLACKPINK member Jisoo.

Thailand is also strongly represented with nominees such as Win Metawin, Gemini Norawit, Milk Pansa Vosbein, Love Pattranite Limpatiyakorn, Namtan Tipnaree, Film Rachanun, and Rebecca Patricia Armstrong.

Beyond the fan-voted categories, this year's Seoul International Drama Awards showcases productions from across Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America, Oceania, and Africa. Organizers also noted a growing number of short-form drama submissions and increased participation from African countries, with Algeria, Rwanda, and Togo joining the competition for the first time.

The 21st Seoul International Drama Awards will be held on Oct. 8 at KBS Hall in Seoul, with the official list of nominees for the international competition expected to be announced later.

Julia Barretto, Anne Curtis, James Reid feature in Opulence Ball 2023 teaser

Kristofer Purnell - Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — The Opulence Ball released a star-studded teaser trailer ahead of its return this Halloween at Taguig's Marquis Events Place.

Anne Curtis, Piolo Pascual, Ruffa Gutierez, Pia Wurtzbach, Julia Barretto, James Reid, Solenn Heussaff, Sarah Lahbati, Celeste Cortesi, Chie Filomeno and Kylie Versoza were just a few of the celebrities seen in the teaser.

Each individual wore creations by fashion designers Anthony Ramirez, Rajo Laurel, Bonita Penaranda, Martin Bautista, Jerome Lorico, Patty Ang and Job Dacion that were modern renditions of various folklores and mythologies like Greek and Roman.

Versoza, for example, is adorned with seashells making her appear like "The Birth of Venus" by Sandro Botticelli. Reid looks like Apollo or Mercury. Heussaff's shimmering outfit is akin to Athena or a Valkyrie, while Curtis wore two outfits — one white, one black with feathers — that presented her as a "Dyosa of Lightness & Darkness."

"Our teaser video is a glimpse into the celestial wonders of an unforgettable night that we’ve curated," said the brains behind the ball, popular events host Mond Gutierrez. "It will be a night where fantasy and reality seamlessly intertwine."

Opulence's co-producer Ash Rye said that the teaser features "a constellation of stars, a promise of a night of enchanting fashion and alluring Filipino creativity" and added that what sets the ball apart is their "passion for crafting fantastical experiences that transcend expectations."

Gutierrez and Rye first staged the Opulence Ball in 2019 with the theme "Let Them Eat Cake," the famous phrase said to have been uttered by Marie Antoinette, queen of France in the 18th century.