Second Annual Gotham Television Awards to Present SQUID GAME Director Hwang Dong-hyuk with The Creator Tribute
by The Gotham Staff on April 24, 2025
The Gotham Television Awards Will Take Place on Monday, June 2nd in New York City
New York, NY (April 24, 2025) – The Gotham Film & Media Institute announced today that Director Hwang Dong-hyuk will receive the Creator Tribute for Netflix’s global juggernaut Squid Game at the Second Annual Gotham Television Awards, taking place live and in person on Monday, June 2nd at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City and livestreaming on Variety’s YouTube channel.
The Gotham Television Awards Creator Tribute was created in 2024 to recognize the iconic artists and creators who have enriched the landscape and pushed the boundaries of TV, making an indelible impact on the medium. With this tribute, The Gotham will honor Director Hwang for combining high-stakes storytelling with sharp cultural commentary to create the global phenomenon that is Squid Game. The Gothams previously celebrated the series with the competitive category award for Best Long Form Breakthrough Series at The Gothams in 2021.
“Since Squid Game’s breakout win at The Gotham Awards four years ago, its ascent has been nothing short of extraordinary—earning global acclaim, sweeping honors, and cementing its place as a landmark in modern television,” said Jeffrey Sharp, Executive Director of The Gotham Film & Media Institute. “With his genre-defying series, Director Hwang has reshaped the possibilities of episodic storytelling, captivating audiences worldwide with a series that is both thrilling and culturally defining. We are proud to recognize Squid Game and Director Hwang in this final chapter, in what promises to be an unforgettable moment at this year’s Gotham Television Awards.”
Squid Game – created and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk – has become Netflix’s most popular show of all time and a defining moment in global television. Known for its gripping narrative exploring economic desperation and corruption through twisted versions of childhood games, the series has sparked worldwide conversation and left a lasting cultural mark. Upon release, it amassed 1.65 billion viewing hours in just 28 days. It also made Emmy® history with 14 nominations and six wins, including Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series – a first for a non-English language show. The honor also made Dong-hyuk the first Asian recipient in the category and the first native Korean winner. Season 2, which premiered in December 2024, broke streaming records with the most views for a show in its premiere week and entered Netflix’s Most Popular Non-English TV list within three days.
The third and final season of Squid Game will premiere globally on Netflix on June 27, 2025, with seasons 1 and 2 currently available to stream on the platform. The franchise has continued to grow with the Emmy®-nominated and BAFTA-winning Squid Game: The Challenge, along with Squid Game: The Experience, a touring fan activation, and Squid Game: Unleashed, a multiplayer video game that is on track to become Netflix’s most downloaded title.
The Gotham Television Awards’ inaugural Creator Tribute was presented last year to Peter Morgan for his remarkable creation of The Crown. It was previously announced that Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino will also receive the Creator Tribute at the Second Annual Gotham Television Awards. At the inaugural Gotham Television Awards ceremony, Baby Reindeer, a unique exploration of stalking and buried traumas created by and starring Richard Gadd, won Breakthrough Limited Series while Mr. & Mrs. Smith, created by Francesca Sloane and Donald Glover and inspired by the 2005 spy movie, won Breakthrough Drama Series. Colin from Accounts, the romcom in which two singles are brought together by a car accident involving a dog, took home the Breakthrough Series Comedy award.
Winners of the Second Annual Gotham Television Awards will be honored at the awards ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, June 2nd, which will be livestreamed on Variety’s YouTube channel. The Premier Sponsor of the 2025 Gotham Television Awards is Vanity Fair.
About The Gotham Film & Media Institute
The Gotham celebrates and nurtures independent film and media creators, providing career-building resources, access to industry influencers, and pathways to wider recognition. The organization, under the leadership of Executive Director and award-winning producer Jeffrey Sharp, fosters a vibrant and sustainable independent storytelling community through its year-round programs, which include Gotham Week, Filmmaker Magazine, the Gotham Awards, Gotham EDU, Owning It, and Expanding Communities.
About The Gotham Television Awards
The Gotham Television Awards celebrates creative excellence and visionary storytelling that redefines and elevates the medium. For over a decade, The Gotham has recognized outstanding achievement in television through its Breakthrough Series categories, and in 2024, expanded this commitment by establishing a dedicated Television Awards.
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