Squid Game is a South Korean dystopian survival thriller drama television series on Netflix created, directed, and written by Hwang Dong-hyuk. The inaugural season was released worldwide on 17 September 2021 and was followed by a second season on December 26, 2024.
As we know, the series was loved by the worldwide audience and watched by millions of fans across the globe. Due to its popularity, and thriller, survival drama, the series was nominated and won several awards in various categories on different platforms.
Many fans were also searching for received awards and nominations. How many awards has Squid Game received? But don’t worry, this blog will explore all the Squid Game Awards. Read the article, continue, and know their awards.
Cast & characters
Before the awards, know the characters involved in this whole series. The series features casts including:
- Lee Jung-jae (Seong Gi-hun, Player 456)
- Lee Byung-hun (Hwang In-ho, the Front Man)
- Wi Ha-joon (Police Officer Hwang Jun-ho)
- Park Hae-soo (Cho Sang-woo, Player 218)
- Jung Ho-yeon (Kang Sae-byeok, Player 067)
- Im Si-wan (Lee Myung-gi, Player 333)
- Jo Yu-ri (Kim Jun-hee, Player 222)
- Park Sung-hoon (Cho Hyun-ju, Player 120)
The series revolves around a covert competition involving 456 participants, each facing severe financial struggles, who risk their lives by playing a set of lethal children’s games for a chance to win a 45.6 billion prize (100 million per person killed).
Owing to its strong critical acclaim and widespread global popularity across both released seasons, the series has received numerous award nominations and wins.
List of Awards & Nominations Received by Squid Game
O Yeong-su became the first Korean-born actor to win a Golden Globe. The series also made history with its four SAG Award nominations, becoming the first non-English and first Korean series nominated for Outstanding Performance by Ensemble in a drama series.
| Award | Year | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFI Awards | 2021 | Special Award | Squid Game | Won |
| American Cinema Editors Awards | 2022 | Best Edited Drama Series | Nam Na-young (for “Gganbu”) | Nominated |
| APAN Star Awards | 2022 | Drama of the Year | Squid Game | Nominated |
| Best Director | Hwang Dong-hyuk | Nominated | ||
| Top Excellence Award, Actor in an OTT Drama | Lee Jung-jae | Nominated | ||
| Excellence Award, Actor in an OTT Drama | Park Hae-soo | Nominated | ||
| Excellence Award, Actor in an OTT Drama | O Yeong-su | Nominated | ||
| Excellence Award, Actress in an OTT Drama | Lee Yoo-mi | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Heo Sung-tae | Won | ||
| Best New Actress | Jung Ho-yeon | Nominated | ||
| Popularity Star Award, Actress | Jung Ho-yeon | Nominated | ||
| Art Directors Guild Awards | 2021 | Excellence in Production Design for a One-Hour Contemporary Single-Camera Series | Chae Kyoung-sun (for “Gganbu”) | Won |
Lee Jung-jae became the first male actor from Korea and Asia to earn an Individual SAG Award nomination for television, while Jung Ho-yeon became the second actress of both Asian and Korean descent to receive one. With both actors winning, the series became the first non-English show to win at the SAG Awards.
Art Directors Guild Awards
| Year | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Excellence in Production Design for a One-Hour Contemporary Single-Camera Series (for “Gganbu”) | Chae Kyoung-sun | Won |
| 2025 | Excellence in Production Design for a One-Hour Contemporary Single-Camera Series (for “Six Legs” and “O X”) | Chae Kyoung-sun | Won |
Asia Artist Awards
| Year | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Actor of the Year | Lee Jung-jae | Won |
| 2021 | Hot Trend Award | — | Won |
| 2021 | Fabulous Award | — | Won |
| 2021 | Best Actor Award | Heo Sung-tae | Won |
| 2021 | — | Kim Joo-ryoung | Won |
Baeksang Arts Awards
| Year | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Grand Prize – Television | Squid Game | Won |
| 2022 | Best Drama | — | Nominated |
| 2022 | Best Director | Hwang Dong-hyuk | Won |
| 2022 | Best Actor | Lee Jung-jae | Nominated |
| 2022 | Best Supporting Actor | Heo Sung-tae | Nominated |
| 2022 | Best Supporting Actress | Kim Joo-ryoung | Nominated |
| 2022 | Best New Actress | Jung Ho-yeon | Nominated |
| 2022 | Best Screenplay | Hwang Dong-hyuk | Nominated |
| 2022 | Technical Award (Art Direction) | Chae Kyung-sun | Nominated |
| 2022 | Technical Award (Music) | Jung Jae-il | Won |
| 2025 | Best Supporting Actor | Roh Jae-won | Nominated |
Blue Dragon Series Awards
| Year | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Best Drama | Squid Game | Nominated |
| 2022 | Best Actor | Lee Jung-jae | Won |
| 2022 | Best Supporting Actor | Park Hae-soo | Nominated |
| 2022 | Best Supporting Actress | Kim Joo-ryoung | Nominated |
| 2022 | Best New Actress | HoYeon Jung | Won |
British Academy Television Awards
| Year | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Best International Programme | Squid Game | Nominated |
| 2022 | Virgin TV’s Must-See Moment | “Red Light, Green Light” | Nominated |
Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival
| Year | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Series Film Award | Squid Game | Won |
Cinema Audio Society Awards
| Year | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Sound Mixing for Television Series – One Hour (for “VIPS”) | Park Hyeon-Soo, Serge Perron, Cameron Sloan | Nominated |
Costume Designers Guild Awards
| Year | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Excellence in Contemporary Television (for “VIPS”) | Cho Sang-kyung | Nominated |
Critics’ Choice Awards
| Year | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Best Drama Series | Squid Game | Nominated |
| 2021 | Best Actor in a Drama Series | Lee Jung-jae | Won |
| 2021 | Best Foreign Language Series | Squid Game | Won |
| 2025 | Best Foreign Language Series | Squid Game | Won |
Critics’ Choice Super Awards
| Year | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Best Action Series | Squid Game | Won |
| 2022 | Best Actor in an Action Series | Lee Jung-jae | Won |
| 2022 | Best Actress in an Action Series | HoYeon Jung | Won |
| 2022 | — | Kim Joo-ryoung | Nominated |
Squid Game became the first non-English television series to earn nominations and win at the Primetime Emmy Awards. It received a total of 14 nominations and won 6, including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series, and Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series.
These wins marked a historic moment, as actor Lee Jung-jae, director Hwang Dong-Hyuk, and actress Lee Yoo-mi became the first Asians and Koreans to receive an Emmy.
Other Awards & Nominations Won by Squid Game
Squid Game, the globally acclaimed South Korean Series, made a historic impact on the international awards circuit. From winning prestigious honors like the Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy, Screen Actors Guild, and Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards, the series achieved both critical and commercial success.
| Award Show | Year | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Globe Awards | 2021 | Best Television Series – Drama | Squid Game | Nominated |
| 2021 | Best Actor in a Television Series – Drama | Lee Jung-jae | Nominated | |
| 2021 | Best Supporting Actor – Television | O Yeong-su | Won | |
| 2025 | Best Television Series – Drama | Squid Game | Nominated | |
| Golden Reel Awards | 2021 | Dialogue and ADR (VIPS) | Hye-Young Kang et al. | Nominated |
| 2021 | Sound Effects and Foley (VIPS) | Hye-Young Kang et al. | Nominated | |
| 2021 | Music (“Red Light, Green Light”) | Jae-il Jung | Nominated | |
| Gotham Awards | 2021 | Breakthrough Series – Long Form | Kim Ji-yeon, Hwang Dong-hyuk | Won |
| 2021 | Outstanding Performance | Lee Jung-jae | Nominated | |
| Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards | 2022 | Best Streaming Series, Drama | Squid Game | Nominated |
| 2022 | Best International Series | Squid Game | Won | |
| 2022 | Best Actor – Streaming Series | Lee Jung-jae | Won | |
| 2022 | Best Supporting Actor | Park Hae-soo | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Best Supporting Actress | HoYeon Jung | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Best Directing | Hwang Dong-hyuk | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Best Writing | Hwang Dong-hyuk | Nominated | |
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | 2021 | Score – TV Show | Jung Jae-il | Won |
| Independent Spirit Awards | 2022 | Best Male Performance | Lee Jung-jae | Won |
| MTV Movie & TV Awards | 2022 | Best Show | Squid Game | Nominated |
| 2022 | Breakthrough Performance | Jung Ho-yeon | Nominated | |
| People’s Choice Awards | 2021 | Bingeworthy Show | Squid Game | Won |
Notably, Lee Jung-jae and Jung Ho-yeon received widespread recognition for their powerful performances, while Hwang Dong-hyuk’s direction was celebrated for its originality and intensity.
The show has also earned several nominations across various technical categories, including sound editing, visual effects, and production design, showcasing the exceptional quality of its overall production.
It’s People’s Choice, MTV, and Gotham Awards further reflect its massive popularity and cultural impact worldwide.
| Award Show | Year | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2022 | Outstanding Drama Series | Kim Ji-yeon, Hwang Dong-hyuk | Nominated |
| 2022 | Lead Actor – Drama | Lee Jung-jae | Won | |
| 2022 | Supporting Actor – Drama | Park Hae-soo, Oh Yeong-su | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Supporting Actress – Drama | Jung Ho-yeon | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Directing – Drama | Hwang Dong-hyuk | Won | |
| 2022 | Writing – Drama | Hwang Dong-hyuk | Nominated | |
| Creative Arts Emmys | 2022 | Guest Actress – Drama | Lee Yoo-mi | Won |
| 2022 | Production Design | “Gganbu” Team | Won | |
| 2022 | Cinematography | Lee Hyung-deok | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Editing | Nam Na-young | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Theme Music | Jung Jae-il | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Visual Effects | “VIPS” Team | Won | |
| 2022 | Stunt Performance | “Stick to the Team” Team | Won | |
| Producers Guild Awards | 2021 | Episodic TV – Drama | Squid Game | Nominated |
| Rose d’Or | 2021 | Drama Program | Squid Game | Nominated |
| Satellite Awards | 2025 | Best Drama Series | Squid Game | Nominated |
| Saturn Awards | 2022 | Best Streaming Horror/Thriller | Squid Game | Nominated |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2021 | Ensemble Cast | Full Cast | Nominated |
| 2021 | Male Actor – Drama | Lee Jung-jae | Won | |
| 2021 | Female Actor – Drama | Jung Ho-yeon | Won | |
| 2021 | Stunt Ensemble | Squid Game | Won | |
| Television Critics Association Awards | 2022 | Program of the Year | Squid Game | Nominated |
| 2022 | Achievement in Drama | Squid Game | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Individual Achievement | Lee Jung-jae | Nominated | |
| Visual Effects Society Awards | 2022 | Supporting VFX (VIPS) | VFX Team | Nominated |
Squid Game Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | September 17, 2021 | ||
| 2 | 7 | December 26, 2024 | ||
| 3 | 6 | June 27, 2025 | ||
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