Reader Nominations Open for 2026 World Webtoon Awards
The countdown for the 2026 World Webtoon Awards has begun. Reader nominations opened on June 15 via the event's official website and will continue until July 24. Webtoon fans can nominate their favorite series and creators in the main award categories.
This year's awards are said to reflect the global growth of the industry. The World Webtoon Awards were first held in 2023 and have since become one of the most prestigious platforms for both Korean and international webtoon creators. Last year's winning series included globally acclaimed works such as Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint and The Remarried Empress, which reached millions of readers worldwide.
Reader nominations are one of the most exciting stages of the awards because fans have a direct say. Applications can be made at worldwebtoonawards.com, and each user can nominate in multiple categories. The main categories include "Best Webtoon", "Best Art", "Best Story", and "Rising Creator of the Year".
A notable addition this year is the "Global Reader Award" category. Organizers stated, "Webtoon readers come from all over the world; with this category, we aim to evaluate series in every language on equal footing." After the nomination process is complete, jury evaluation and public voting stages will begin.
The webtoon industry has boomed in the last five years: in 2024 alone, the global webtoon reader count exceeded 200 million, and the market size reached $6 billion. These awards play a critical role in institutionalizing the industry and ensuring creators receive the recognition they deserve. The winners of the 2026 World Webtoon Awards will be announced at a ceremony in October. All eyes are on the nomination lists now – could your favorite webtoon take home an award this year?
