When Life Gives You Tangerines crowned best K-Drama of 2025, Lee Jun-ho triumphs at APAN Star Awards

When Life Gives You Tangerines continues to sweep awards, and who is really surprised?

The 2025 APAN Star Awards lit up Seoul on December 29 at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), and this year, the spotlight was on IU and When Life Gives You Tangerines.

The APAN Star Awards is South Korea’s only integrated drama awards, celebrating content across broadcast, cable, OTT, and web dramas. Any drama that aired between November 2024 and October 2025 was eligible, and the results are well-deserved.

Big wins for When Life Gives You Tangerines

• Daesang (Grand Prize): IU (When Life Gives You Tangerines)

• Best Drama: When Life Gives You Tangerines

• Best Director: Kim Won Seok (When Life Gives You Tangerines)

Writing honors

• Best Writer: Jang Hyun (Typhoon Family)

Top Excellence Awards

Mid-Length drama

• Male: Lee Junho (Typhoon Family)

• Female: Cha Joo Young (The Queen Who Crowns)

Long-Form drama

• Male: Ahn Jae Wook (For Eagle Brothers)

• Female: Uhm Ji Won (For Eagle Brothers)

Excellence Awards

Mid-Length drama

• Male: Lee Jun Young (When Life Gives You Tangerines, Pump Up the Healthy Love)

• Female: Shin Ye Eun (The Murky Stream, A Hundred Memories)

Long-Form drama

• Male: Seo Ha Joon (The Woman Who Swallowed the Sun)

• Female: Park Eun Hye (Marie and Her Three Daddies)

Special Drama Acting Awards

• Best Short Drama Actor: Jung Gun Joo (2024 KBS Drama Special – The Road in Between)

• Best Web Drama Actor: Kim Ki Hyun (No MZ for Old Men)

• Best Web Drama Actress: Park Ha Sun (Useless Love, Psychopath Yeo Sun Jung)

Male Acting Award: Ko Kyu Phil (Genie, Make A Wish, Twelve), Yoon Kyung Ho (The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call)
Female Acting Award: Kim Shin Rok (Undercover High School, Tastefully Yours), Oh Na Ra (Villains Everywhere, The Nice Guy)

Rising stars

• Best New Actor: Kang You Seok (Resident Playbook), Lee Chae Min (Bon Appétit, Your Majesty, Crushology 101)

• Best New Actress: Ha Young (The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call, Face Me), Hong Hwa Yeon (Buried Hearts, Tastefully Yours, I Am A Running Mate)

• Best Young Actor: Lee Cheon Mu (When Life Gives You Tangerines)

• Best Young Actress: Kim Tae Yeon (When Life Gives You Tangerines)

Idol and popularity highlights

• Idol Champ Best OST Award: Lim Young Woong – “Heavenly Ever After” (Heavenly Ever After)

• Idol Champ Popularity Award (Actor): Lee Junho

• Idol Champ Popularity Award (Actress): Kim Hye Yoon

• Idol Champ Global Star Award: Lee Junho

• Idol Champ Best Entertainer: Cha Eun Woo

Global and Iconic Honors

• KS Autoplan Asia Star Award: Jin Young, Chung Su Bin

• KS Autoplan Icon Award: Han Ji Eun

• Global Influencer Award (Overseas): DADA, HUIHUI

• Global Influencer Award (Domestic): KIMPRO, Yu Baekhap, Park Il Seo