Web series – for the first time – are now qualified to run for the 26th Shanghai TV Festival (STVF) in 2020, the organizer announced Monday.

Cast members of the hot web drama "The Untamed" performance during a concert. (Photo: VCG)

STVF is one of the most influential annual TV festivals in China. Every year, juries comprising famous artists and experts from Chinese and foreign TV industries carry out evaluation for the Magnolia Awards in 17 categories.

Web series, as the name implies, are series of episodic videos released on the internet instead of on traditional satellite television channels.

China's domestic web series were castigated for awkward acting skills and crude production when they first emerged about a decade ago. With the rise of video websites, more web series with higher aesthetic and production standards have been released in recent years. 

Costume dramas like "The Longest Day in Chang'an," "The Untamed" and sci-fi/comedy "Qing Yu Nian" are among the most popular web plays released in 2019.

Applications for the 26th STVF opened on Monday and will close on March 31, 2020. Prizes in four categories – drama, documentary, animation and variety shows - are up for grabs. 

The 26th STVF will run from June 8 to June 12 next year.

Last year, nearly 1,000 works from 52 countries and regions signed up for Magnolia Awards. TV series "Like a Flowing River" became the biggest winner by nabbing five awards, including Best TV Series and Best Director. It focuses on people who had their lives changed amid China's reform and opening-up.