The 40th Golden Disc Awards lit up Taipei, Taiwan, on January 10, 2026, celebrating a year of chart-topping music from the K-pop industry. The ceremony at the Taipei Dome was a historic event, marking four decades of one of the most respected music awards in Korea. This year introduced a major new top prize, the Artist of the Year award, adding to the excitement. Stars walked the red carpet before a night filled with unforgettable performances and the announcement of winners based on album sales, streaming data, and expert judgment.
A Full List of Winners and Award Highlights
The night’s biggest honors, the Daesang or Grand Prizes, were presented in three key categories for the first time. Jennie claimed the prestigious new Artist of the Year award. The Album of the Year Daesang was awarded to Stray Kids for their record “KARMA“. The Song of the Year Daesang went to G-Dragon for his track “HOME SWEET HOME,” which features Taeyang and Daesung.
Ten main prizes, or Bonsangs, were awarded in both the digital song and album categories.
The Digital Song Bonsang winners included hits from a mix of top groups and soloists: BOYNEXTDOOR (“If I Say, I Love You”), LE SSERAFIM (“Hot”), ALLDAY PROJECT (“Famous”), Rosรฉ (“toxic till the end”), Jennie (“like JENNIE”), BLACKPINK (“JUMP”), ZO ZAZZ (“Don’t You Know”), aespa (“Dirty Work”), G-Dragon (“HOME SWEET HOME”), and IVE (“Rebel Heart”).
The Album Bonsang recognized successful releases from: NCT WISH (COLOR), ATEEZ (GOLDEN HOUR : Part.2), IVE (IVE EMPATHY), RIIZE (ODYSSEY), Stray Kids (KARMA), G-Dragon (รbermensch), ZEROBASEONE (NEVER SAY NEVER), TXT (The Star Chapter: TOGETHER), ENHYPEN (DESIRE: UNLEASH), and SEVENTEEN (HAPPY BURSTDAY).
The Rookie Artist of the Year awards were given to two rising acts: CORTIS and ALLDAY PROJECT. Popularity awards, decided by fan votes, were also presented. Jin of BTS won the Most Popular Artist Award for a male artist, while the female artist award went to Hearts2Hearts.
Several special awards highlighted diverse achievements. IVE received the Cosmopolitan Artist Award, and Jennie was honored with the Global Impact Award. MONSTA X took home the Best Group award. izna and TWS won the Best Performance Award. KiiiKiii was named the Next Generation award recipient, while ARrC and CLOSE YOUR EYES were given the Golden Choice Award. BOYNEXTDOOR also received the Naver AI Choice Award.
Performances and Show Highlights
The ceremony featured an extensive lineup of performances that showcased the energy and talent of K-pop. The show was hosted by singer Sung Si-kyung and actress Moon Ga-young. A number of popular K-drama stars, including Song Joong Ki, Byeon Woo Seok, and Ahn Hyo Seop, alongside Taiwanese celebrities, joined as award presenters.
The performance list was a mix of new hits and special cover stages. Newer groups like TWS performed their songs and also delivered a cover of BTS’s “Spring Day”. Senior artists brought powerful stages; Stray Kids performed tracks including a special version of “Ceremony” from their award-winning album KARMA, and MONSTA X took the stage with songs like “N the Front”.
Soloists had memorable moments, too. Jennie performed a setlist that included “Filter” and “Damn Right”. G-Dragon’s winning song “HOME SWEET HOME” was a highlight of the night. Special cover performances paid tribute to Korean music legends, with artists like Kim Tae-rae covering Shin Seung-hun and Jongho covering Kim Kwang-seok.
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Event Logistics and Global Access
The 40th Golden Disc Awards was held at the Taipei Dome in Taiwan on Saturday, January 10, 2026. The red carpet event began at 5:00 PM Korea Standard Time (KST), with the main ceremony following at 6:30 PM KST. For global fans unable to attend, the event was accessible through multiple official live streams. The ceremony was broadcast on JTBC networks in Korea and streamed globally for free on the PRIZM platform. Specific regional streaming was also available on services like Naver CHZZK in Korea and ABEMA in Japan.
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