Do not go gentle into that good night, old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light, though wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words had forked no lightning they, do not go gentle into that good night.
Global webtoon fans to choose best comics as ‘World Webtoon Awards’ opens nominations
A promotional poster for the 2026 World Webtoon Awards / Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
By Jhoo Dong-chan
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in partnership with the Korea Creative Content Agency, has opened public nominations for the "2026 World Webtoon Awards," an initiative aimed at celebrating the global dominance of the digital comic format.
The submission window, open now until July 24, marks a significant shift in the event's third year. Moving away from traditional open submissions, the 2026 awards will rely entirely on global reader nominations to determine its preliminary pool.
To participate, fans worldwide can recommend up to three titles on the official awards website, which supports English, Korean, Japanese, French and Spanish. Eligible works include any webtoon published on a domestic or international platform between January 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026.
The evaluation process will follow a rigorous two-tier system. The top 100 reader-nominated titles will first undergo a preliminary screening by industry experts. A combined score of expert evaluation and reader votes will narrow the field to 20 finalists. The final 10 winners will then be chosen through a subsequent round of public voting and final jury deliberation.
For the first time since the inception of the awards in 2024, the government will introduce substantial cash prizes to elevate the event's prestige. Each of the 10 main award winners will receive 10 million won ($6,600). The grand prize winner will secure an additional 5 million won, while the jury prize winner will take home an extra 3 million won. To expand its international reach, organizers have also introduced a dedicated "Overseas Work Award" alongside the existing popularity prize.
The main ceremony is scheduled for Dec. 2 at Coex in southern Seoul, serving as the opening event for the broader World Webtoon Festival.
"Webtoons serve as the intellectual property foundation for K-content," said Choi Sung-hee, director-general of the ministry's Content Media Industry Bureau. "Through a fair and transparent evaluation, we aim to help outstanding webtoons continue to lead the global entertainment market."
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.