Silent, Then BOOM: K-Drama Makes Waves with Surprise Win at Major U.S. Awards!

The Netflix original series 'Squid Game 2' quietly re-emerged in the global spotlight after winning the Best Foreign Language Series award at the 30th Critics Choice Awards on January 7 (local time) in Santa Monica, California. This marks the series’ second win following its Season 1 triumph in 2022, once again highlighting the impact of Korean dramas on the global stage.

The Critics Choice Awards, organized by the Critics Choice Association (CCA), is a prestigious ceremony recognized for its influence on the Oscars race. Often compared to the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild Awards, it serves as a key indicator for major award seasons in film and television.

At this year’s ceremony, 'Squid Game 2' faced stiff competition from globally produced series, including Acapulco (Mexico), Citadel: Honey Bunny (India), La Máquina (Brazil), The Law According to Lidia Poët (Italy), My Brilliant Friend (Italy), Pachinko (Korea/U.S.), and Senna (Brazil). Ultimately, the Korean series claimed victory, reaffirming its strong presence in the global content market. With this win, the Squid Game series became the first show to win the Best Foreign Language Series award for two consecutive seasons at the Critics Choice Awards.

Although Season 1 earned both Best Foreign Language Series and Best Actor (Lee Jung-jae) in 2022, this year’s outcome fell short of that double win. However, the success still underscores the series’ influence and the ongoing momentum of Korean dramas worldwide. Unlike its predecessor, 'Squid Game 2' was not nominated for the Best Drama Series category this year. While Season 1 had competed in the category in 2022, Season 2 was limited to the Foreign Language Series category. The Best Drama Series this year was dominated by Shōgun, a U.S. production exploring Japanese history, which swept multiple awards, including Best Drama Series, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress.

In the film categories, Anora took home the Best Picture award, while Jon M. Chu of Wicked won Best Director. Adrien Brody received Best Actor for his role in The Brutalist, and Demi Moore won Best Actress for her performance in The Substance.

According to Netflix, 'Squid Game 2' has already set major milestones. As of January 9, it is the third most-watched Netflix series of all time, trailing only behind 'Squid Game 1' and Wednesday, with a staggering 1.28 billion cumulative viewing hours. The success of Season 2 has firmly established the series as one of Netflix’s flagship global hits.

The anticipation for 'Squid Game 3' is already building, with Netflix confirming that the next season will premiere on June 27. Following the consecutive successes of Seasons 1 and 2, expectations for the upcoming season are sky-high.