MACAO, March 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The 2025 Yuewen Global IP Awards, hosted by China Literature (Yuewen), concluded at MGM Cotai, bringing together over 1,000 creators and industry leaders from across the global entertainment industry.
The annual ceremony presented awards across 20 categories, recognizing outstanding achievements in online literature, IP adaptation, and emerging formats such as short-form drama, AI-animated dramas, and IP merchandise. The ceremony offered a comprehensive look at how Yuewen’s “IP + AI + Ecosystem” strategy is reshaping the creation, development, and commercialization of intellectual property.
Gen Z Writers Drive the Next Wave of Content Innovation
One of the clearest signals from this year’s awards is the rapid rise of a new generation of writers. According to Yuewen, 65% of newly contracted writers in 2025 were born after 1995, signaling a structural shift in the content creation landscape.
In the New Author of the Year segment, three post-95s writers—Awespec (author of Genetic Ascension), Crane guards (author of Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect), and The people from Ji Yue (author of The Immortal Mirror Clan)—took the stage.
The Influential Novels of the Year awards, based on long-standing reader voting mechanisms, recognized ten works spanning genres including fantasy, sci-fi, historical fiction, and realism—underscoring both the diversity and depth of China’s online literature landscape.
Yuan Tong, a leading sci-fi writer, received the Outstanding Author of the Year honor. His work Embers of the Deep, previously awarded China’s Galaxy Award, is currently in development for animation adaptation, while his latest novel Dimensional Hotel was also named among the year’s most influential titles.
IP Adaptation at Scale Across Dramas, Animation, Games, and Audio
The awards also underscored Yuewen’s strength across the full IP value chain. According to EnlightEnt Data, in 2025, five of the top 10 most-streamed new long-form dramas in China were adapted from Yuewen IPs, while nine of the top 10 animated titles were based on its works.
Among the 12 works honored as Most Popular Adaptations of the Year, hit dramas such as A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality, In the name of Blossom, No Pain No Gain, The Glory, Coroner’s Diary captivated audiences; animated works including A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality: Return To Tiannan, Lord of Mysteries, Renegade Immortal, The Outcast 6, Way of Choices, topped the charts. In particular, the audio adaptation of Guardians of the Dafeng surpassed 10 billion plays, marking a milestone for long-form audio storytelling. The game Douluo Continent: Soul Hunting World also delivered strong commercial performance shortly after launch.
The Most Anticipated IP Adaptation of the Year category honored upcoming projects poised to become the next blockbusters, including film and television works Blossoms of Power, Escape To Your Heart, Us In Wonderland, Qiao Chu, We Live In Nanjing; animation works Spirit Realm Walker, Embers of the Deep, Ascension on a Chosen Day (working title); and gaming works Soul Land: Legend of Evil Slayer, The New LOM Mobile Game, Lord of Mysteries, The Hidden Ones.
At the ceremony, the first animated feature film of Ling Cage: Incarnation was officially announced and received the Most Anticipated Animated Film of the Year honor. In 2025, the second season of Ling Cage: Incarnation garnered critical and popular acclaim, winning multiple domestic awards and becoming the only Chinese sci-fi animation shortlisted for the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
The ceremony also featured appearances by leading actors and performers. Wan Qian as Powerhouse IP Actress of the Year, Zhou Shen as Singer of the Year, Huang Xiaoming was honored as IP Partner of the Year, Song Yi as Distinctive IP Actress of the Year, Liu Duanduan as Crossover IP Artist of the Year, and Yu Yin as Rising Star Actress of the Year. Duan Aojuan delivered a moving performance of Fan Ren, the ending theme of A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality.
Short-Form Drama, AI Content, and Merchandise Enter a New Growth Phase
Beyond traditional formats, emerging content categories are becoming key growth drivers.
Short-form drama continues to scale rapidly. The Innovative IP Adapted Short-form Dramas honor went to three hit productions: Pregnant Sweet Wife, I Don’t Want To Reincarnate, This Bodyguard Is Too Invincible. In 2025, Yuewen produced 122 short-form series, with multiple titles achieving breakout success.
At the same time, AI-animated dramas are accelerating content production. Since launching its initiative in late 2025, Yuewen has created more than 1,000 AI-animated dramas within six months. Among them, 26 titles have exceeded 100 million views, with over 100 surpassing 10 million views. The Innovative IP Animated Series honor was awarded to Thriller Paradise, adapted from a Yuewen IP.
A live demonstration at the event showcased how a narrative scene can be generated in real time—from prompt input to visual output—highlighting the potential of AI to significantly shorten the path from text to screen.
“The faster AI evolves, the more valuable original stories become,” said Hou Xiaonan, CEO and President of Yuewen. “IP is the soul, and AI is the engine.”
From Merchandise to Virtual Characters: Expanding IP Monetization
Yuewen is also extending IP value beyond content into merchandise and character-based operations.
In 2025, the company’s IP merchandise GMV exceeded RMB 1.1 billion, more than doubling year-on-year. The IP Goods of the Year award went to a premium collectible card series based on The King’s Avatar. A new generation of products from the trendy toy IP Jiang Jiang, titled “Jiang Jiang’s Bow Diary” was unveiled. The new designer toy lines demonstrated strong market demand, with several releases selling out shortly after launch.
The company also introduced a new character group based on The Outcast, “YIREN Group,” marking a further step into virtual IP operations. Zhou Shen performed the debut of The I Am, the 10th anniversary theme song of The Outcast and the YIREN Group’s official song. By combining storytelling, music, merchandise, and offline experiences, Yuewen is exploring new ways to deepen fan engagement and expand commercial scenarios.
Global Expansion: Yuewen IP Expands Worldwide Reach
Globalization remains a central pillar of Yuewen’s strategy.
Lord of Mysteries received the Globally Cross-Industry Impact IP award, recognized for its success in both international publishing and cross-platform collaboration with the game Honor of Kings. The title has been licensed in more than a dozen languages and has achieved strong performance across multiple international markets.
In parallel, the Overseas Original Work of the Year award went to Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons by Mexican author Dagzo, reflecting the growing diversity of Yuewen’s global creator ecosystem.
Yuewen also announced the shortlist for its Global Chinese Literary Awards, co-organized with Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao, which attracted over 50,000 submissions from 60 countries and regions.
Alongside the awards, Yuewen hosted an industry forum on March 28 focused on the future of IP development in the age of AI. The company also launched an IP-themed immersive experience in Macao, combining exhibitions, pop-up stores, and live events to connect online content with offline cultural tourism.
The takeaway from this year’s event is clear: in an era of accelerating technological change, strong stories remain the foundation of the IP industry—while AI and ecosystem capabilities determine how far those stories can go.
Media contact
Contact: He Xiaomei
Company Name: Yuewen
Website: https://www.yuewen.com/
Email: hexiaomei@yuewen.com
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