Gold glitter background with black and red text reading 'the vertical drama love fan awards 2024'

The Inaugural Fan-Voted Vertical Drama Awards

The Vertical Drama Love Awards are independently organised by Jen of Vertical Drama Love to celebrate the creativity, talent, and joy found in the world of vertical dramas. These awards aim to recognise the growing impact of vertical storytelling and the artists helping to shape this fast-evolving format.

Open to English-language vertical dramas released in 2024, the awards shine a light on standout performances, writing, and production within the industry.

Fans were invited to submit nominations in February 2025, forming the basis for each category’s shortlist. Voting took place over one week in March 2025, with more than 16,000 fans from around the world casting their votes. Winners were announced and awards presented in May 2025.

There were votes from: Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antarctica, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burma, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, England, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Greenland, Guam, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Leichenstein, Lithuania, Luxebourg, Macau, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritus, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicuargau, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Northern Ireland, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, St Maarten, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwain, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukrain, UAE, USA, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Wales & Yemen

THE WINNERS 2024

2024 Vertical Drama Love Fan Award Winners

  • Black and white portrait of a young man with styled hair and a serious expression, wearing a dark shirt and a necklace.

    Eric Guilmette

    VERTICAL LEGEND

  • Close-up portrait of a young man with dark, curly hair and facial hair, wearing a dark jacket and a beaded necklace, against a blue wall.

    Teig Sadhana

    RISING STAR

  • A bride and groom at a wedding, with a Hollywood sign in the background, under a floral canopy, with the title 'Falling for a Superstar' in yellow and white text.

    Falling For A Superstar

    VERTICAL OF THE YEAR

  • White logo of a capital letter R with a play button inside, on a pink to orange gradient background.

    Reelshort

    APP OF THE YEAR

  • Black and white portrait of a young woman with long, wavy hair wearing a dark top with lace trim and a thin necklace.

    Mariah Moss

    BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

    Bea - Crush On The Unwanted Princess

  • A man with dark hair and a beard wearing a white shirt, talking to a woman whose face is not visible in a room with light-colored curtains.

    Eric Guilmette

    BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA

    Henry - You Belong With Me

  • A young woman with red hair, blue eyes, and freckles, smiling while wearing a denim jacket off her shoulder, against a neutral background.

    Grace Swanson

    BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

    Ginny - Driven For Love

  • Man with dark hair and beard, wearing a grey blazer over a black shirt, talking on a cellphone in a dimly lit room.

    Noah Fearnley

    BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY

    Declan - My Unwanted Billionaire Ex

  • A woman with wavy blonde hair and green eyes looking at the camera, wearing a gold velvet shirt against a dark background.

    Sarah Moliski

    VILLAINESS OF THE YEAR

    Alyssa - The Virgin’s Bucketlist

  • A man with dark hair and a light complexion, wearing a beige long-sleeve shirt, poses with his arms crossed in front of a gray background.

    Nick Ritacco

    VILLAIN OF THE YEAR

    M - Crush On The Unwanted Princess

  • A woman in black tactical gear standing outdoors with pink flowering bushes in the background.

    Winnie Wang

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

    Agent Raven - My Secret Agent Husband

  • Close-up portrait of a young man with curly brown hair, blue eyes, and light skin, wearing a brown jacket over a black shirt, against a plain background.

    Adam Santa Cruz

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

    Beta Hugo - Accidental Surrogate For Alpha

  • A young girl in a pink dress holds a colorful heart-shaped birthday cake with a number candle. She is smiling at a kitchen counter.

    Ellison Pipe

    CHILD PERFORMER OF THE YEAR

    Hailey - Breaking The Ice

  • A professional shot of a young man wearing glasses and a business suit, visible on a monitor screen attached to a camera; the monitor has a yellow tape labeled 'B CAM' at the top.

    Max Riffel

    HARDEST WORKING CEO’S ASSISTANT

    Jake - We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together

  • A poster for the movie 'Breaking the Ice' featuring a young man and woman facing each other closely with ice hockey players blurred in the background.

    Breaking The Ice

    BEST SCRIPT

  • A man in a tuxedo and a woman in elegant attire pose together in a vintage-style room, with the woman holding a black high-heeled shoe.

    "Listen to me you bumbling idiot"

    ONE LINER OF THE YEAR

    Henry to Eric - You Belong With Me

  • Group of diverse people gathering in a cozy living room for a celebration or social event, smiling at the camera.

    Breaking The Ice

    BEST ENSEMBLE CAST

  • A young man and woman taking a selfie outdoors in front of a brick wall and window with iron bars.

    Henry & Christine

    BEST ON SCREEN COUPLE

    You Belong With Me

  • Two men are smiling and one is carrying the other in his arms. They are standing in front of a mural of a bearded face with a mustache and open mouth.

    Killian & Casper

    BEST ON SCREEN DUO

    Devil’s Triangle

  • A vintage-style portrait of four people in ornate costumes, with two women in elaborate wigs and gowns, and two men, one sitting on a ledge and one lying on a sofa, in a richly decorated room with paintings and antiques. The text reads, 'The Return of My Drama Queen.'

    Return Of The Drama Queen

    COSTUME, HAIR & MAKE UP

    Olivia Jackson, Layla Damian, Nan Zhou, Tate Scofield, Sophie Nenn & Wendy Sonali

  • "I'm firing you from my life"

    COMEDY GOLD SCENE

    We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together - Molly Anderson & Jarred Harper

  • Jack confronts the thugs in his house

    BEST ACTION SCENE

    Fated Deal With The Mafia King - Jake Hobbs

  • Henry leaves the meeting for Christine

    BEST SWOONWORTHY SCENE

    You Belong With Me - Emma Hullar & Eric Guilmette

  • After I Buy Sperm From A Billionaire

    WACKIEST VERTICAL TITLE

The Awards Ceremony

The Vertical Drama Love Fan Awards 2024 celebrate the very best in the vertical drama world — with over 16,000 fans from across the globe voting for their favourites. Created by Jen, these awards are a tribute to the talent, passion, and joy this industry brings.

Watch the ceremony here

How the Awards Work - 2024

Read on to learn more about how the awards work, and details about each category

Complete List of Award categories

LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA: What has been your favourite performance by a female lead in a vertical drama? We are defining drama as anything that isn't a comedy (a comedy being something that is mainly light hearted).

LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA: What has been your favourite performance by a male lead in a vertical drama? We are defining drama as anything that isn't a comedy (a comedy being something that is mainly light hearted).

LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY: What has been your favourite performance by a female lead in a vertical comedy? We are defining a comedy as something that is mainly light-hearted, silly and funny for most of the series.

LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY: What has been your favourite performance by a male lead in a vertical comedy? We are defining a comedy as something that is mainly light-hearted, silly and funny for most of the series.

PERFORMANCE BY A CHILD ACTOR/ACTRESS: What has been your favourite performance by a child actor/actress in a vertical? The performer must have been under the age of 15 when the vertical series was released.

FAVOURITE VILLAINESS: This award is for the CHARACTER, but will be given to the actor who portrays them. What was your favourite performance? Who is the villainess that stole the show, and did the worst, most devious things?

FAVOURITE VILLAIN: This award is for the CHARACTER, but will be given to the actor who portrays them. What was your favourite performance? Who is the villain that stole the show, and did the worst, most devious things?

SUPPORTING ACTRESS: What has been your favourite performance by a supporting actress in a vertical? We have separate awards for the lead actress, and villainess. This is for your favourite performance of a best friend, parent, grandparent, co-worker in a vertical.

SUPPORTING ACTOR: What has been your favourite performance by a supporting actor in a vertical? We have separate awards for the lead actor, and villain. This is for your favourite performance of a best friend, parent, grandparent, co-worker in a vertical.

HARDEST WORKING ASSISTANT: This award is for the CHARACTER, but will be given to the actor/actress who portrays them. Which assistant goes above and beyond for their boss? This could be a CEO's assistant, a Beta in a Werewolf drama or a deputy in a Mafia drama! Without them the story would fall apart!

ON SCREEN COUPLE: This is all about the main romance - our leading couple. The award is for the CHARACTERS, the ones you shipped the most this year. The awards (yes there are 2) will be given to the actors/actresses playing these roles.

FAVOURITE DUO (FRIENDSHIP, BROMANCE, FAMILY RELATIONSHIP)‼️: This award is for the CHARACTERS, but will be given to the actors/actresses who portrays them. It is not for the leading couple (we have a separate award for that which is next) Who is our favourite on screen duo - perhaps a CEO and assistant, female lead and bestie, villainous pair?

ENSEMBLE CAST‼️: This award is for the series that has the best ensemble cast. The one where everyone is fantastic from our leads to the supporting characters, the friends, the parents, the villains, the bit parts. Where everyone gels and we want to celebrate all of them.

ONE-LINER: What is your favourite quotable line from a vertical? It may be an insult, a joke or a declaration of love! Please make sure you tell us who said it, and what show it was in.

SCRIPT OF THE YEAR: We want to recognise the fact there are lots of talented writers working in verticals. What was the one show that stood out for your with the overall quality of writing? This will be your script of the year.

COSTUMES, HAIR & MAKE UP‼️: Which vertical series had the best costumes? Whose hair and makeup were on point?

FIGHT / ACTION SCENE‼️: What is your favourite fight or action scene of the year? It can be a comedy fight, or heart stopping action. What is the one that made you gasp and you still think about? What looked amazing, and had you in awe of the actors/actresses skills?

COMEDY GOLD SCENE‼️: What is your favourite comedic scene? The one that made you laugh out loud? That lives rent free in your head?

MOST SWOONWORTHY SCENE‼️: What is your favourite romantic scene? The most swoonworthy moment in verticals? The one that you have rewatched and rewatched? That lives rent free in your head?

IT COULD ONLY HAPPEN IN VERTICALS‼️: This award is for the WTF moments that only a vertical can deliver! Something so crazy, cheesy or cliché that it has stuck with you for a long time afterwards!

WACKIEST VERTICAL SERIES NAME‼️ : Yes we are getting silly now. You all know that vertical titles can be out there. We want to know which one you think is the craziest?

APP OF THE YEAR: What is your favourite vertical app of the year? Which one do you go to the most? Nominate your favourite.

VERTICAL SERIES OF THE YEAR: This is the big one. What was your favourite vertical series of 2024? Yes we know it is hard to choose just one! Good luck! There will be 10 series on the final shortlist to choose from (the final shortlist number for all other awards is 5 unless mentioned here)

RISING STAR: This award is to recognise a rising star, someone who has quickly become a fan favourite. In order to be eligible they must have been in 5 verticals or less that have been released in 2024. It does not have to be a lead role, this can include side characters. There will be 10 names on the final shortlist to choose from (the final shortlist number for all other awards is 5 unless mentioned here)

VERTICAL LEGEND: This award is to recognise a vertical legend, an actor or actress who defines the genre. In order to be eligible they must have been in 8 or more verticals that have been released in 2024. It does not have to be a lead role, this can include side characters There will be 10 names on the final shortlist to choose from (the final shortlist number for all other awards is 5 unless mentioned here)

Every winner will get a physical award, unless there is a‼️by the award - in which case it is just bragging rights and a certificate if you want one!

The Awards Process

Nominations

Open Period: Nominations will be open from 21-28 February.

Who Can Nominate? Fans and creatives can submit their nominations for each award category.

How Are Nominations Processed? The organising team will verify nominations for eligibility and compile shortlists based primarily on the number of nominations received. The most popular nominations will have the highest chance of making the final list.

Eligibility Criteria:

-Only vertical series released in 2024 and in English are eligible.

-Any series released in previous years will be deemed ineligible and removed.

Organising Team: The awards are organised by Jen (Vertical Drama Love) and assisted by Ana, Lisa and Sam. All decisions made by the organising team are final.

Shortlisting & Voting

Shortlist Announcement: Shortlists will be announced on 13 March.

Voting Period: Voting will be open from 14-28 March.

Shortlist Format:

Each category will have a shortlist of 5 nominees.

Exceptions: Series, Rising Star & Legend categories will have 10 nominees each.

Voting System:

Awards will be decided using a first-past-the-post system, where the nominee with the most votes wins.

The system will prevent multiple votes for the same nominee from the same person to ensure fair voting and prevent bot activity.

Contacting Winners

Notification: Winners will be contacted via Instagram.

Award Delivery:

Winners will be asked to provide a safe mailing address (e.g., agent or production company) for security purposes.

Some awards may not have a physical trophy, but winners will still be recognized.

Winner Announcements & Award Ceremony

Confidentiality: Winners must not publicly share that they have won until the award ceremony goes live.

Video Submissions:

Winners are requested to record a short video with their award, sharing what it means to them and thanking their fans.

Video submissions should be sent to jen@verticaldramalove.com.

Award Ceremony:

A YouTube premiere will take place on May 2nd 2025

A hosted ceremony will showcase the winners and their videos.

FAQs

Who Can Submit a Nomination?

Nominations are open to fans and creatives who want to recognize outstanding contributions to vertical series in 2024. You can nominate yourself, colleagues, or your favorites.

Please note: You can only submit one round of nominations, so be sure to think through all your choices before submitting.

Is There an Entry Fee?

No, there is no entry fee to submit a nomination.

If you’d like to support the awards and help cover the running costs, please consider buying a coffee here. Your contribution helps keep this event running smoothly!

Can I Submit Multiple Entries?

No

What Happens After I Submit a Nomination?

Review Process: The organizing team will verify nominations for eligibility.

Shortlisting: Nominations with the most votes will have the best chance of making the final shortlist, which will be announced on 13 March.

Finalist Notification: If you are shortlisted, I will contact you via Instagram to confirm your place and request images to be used in the final voting setup.

What Information Do I Need to Submit?

Please include as much information as possible for each nomination:

Actor/Actress Name

Character Name

Drama Title

Streaming App or Platform

If a series has multiple titles, don’t worry—we’ll determine the correct one. Don’t panic if you can’t find all of it - the main thing is as much information as possible will really help us (the organizing team) out!

Do have a look on IMDB if you are looking for details, or ask on social media!

Important Dates

21 February Nominations Open

28 February Nominations Close

9 March Shortlisted Candidates Contacted & images requested for final voting

13 March Shortlist for all awards announced publicly

14 March Voting Opens

28 March Voting Closes

31 March Winners Contacted & Awards mailed out

2 May Award ceremony which will premiere on YouTube.