Nominations for main awards will run from June 15 to July 24 through event’s official website
Image via Worlds Webtoon Awards’ website
© MCST/KOCCA
Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) and the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) have opened nominations for the 2026 World Webtoon Awards, marking a shift toward reader-driven selection and the introduction of prize money for the first time.
Nominations for the main awards will run from June 15 to July 24 through the event’s official website, with global readers invited to recommend up to three webtoons each. Eligible titles must have been serialized on domestic or international platforms between January 1, 2025 and May 31, 2026.
Now in its third year, the World Webtoon Awards was launched in 2024 to elevate Korea’s status as the leading force in the global webtoon industry. Previous grand prize winners include Solo Leveling in its inaugural year and Mirae’s Antique Shop in 2025, alongside multiple category winners including Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint.
This year, the awards will forgo traditional submissions in favor of a nomination-only system based on reader participation. The selection process will consist of two rounds: a preliminary evaluation narrowing the top 100 reader-nominated titles to 20 finalists, followed by a final round combining judge scores and public voting to determine 10 main award winners.
The awards will also expand categories, introducing a new prize for international works in addition to the existing popularity award.
For the first time, cash prizes will be awarded. Each of the 10 main winners will receive 10 million won (about US$7,500) and a trophy, with additional prizes of 5 million won for the grand prize and 3 million won for the jury award.
The ceremony will take place on December 2 at COEX in Seoul as part of the World Webtoon Festival.
Fans can submit their recommendations here.
Source: World Webtoon Awards’ website
