The 40th Golden Disc Awards were held on January 10, 2026, at the Taipei Dome in Taiwan, celebrating the biggest K-pop releases from the past year. The historic ceremony, which marked four decades since its start, introduced a brand new grand prize category. Top artists like Stray Kids, G-Dragon, and Jennie won the night’s highest awards.
Hosted by singer Sung Si Kyung and actress Moon Ga Young, the show featured performances from major acts and presenters including popular actors Byeon Woo Seok, Ahn Hyo Seop, and Song Joong Ki. The event was broadcast live globally, allowing fans worldwide to watch the festivities.
Complete List of Winners for the 40th Golden Disc Awards
The awards are based on sales, streaming data, and expert evaluation. The main prizes, called Bonsang, were awarded in both album and digital song categories. From those winners, the top Daesang (Grand Prize) awards were chosen.
Album of the Year (Album Daesang) went to Stray Kids for their work “KARMA.”. Song of the Year (Digital Daesang) was awarded to G-Dragon for his track “HOME SWEET HOME,” which features Taeyang and Daesung. The newly created Artist of the Year (Artist Daesang) was given to Jennie.
The ten winners of the Best Album Bonsang are:
- NCT WISH – ‘COLOR’
- ATEEZ – ‘GOLDEN HOUR : Part.2’
- IVE – ‘IVE EMPATHY’
- RIIZE – ‘ODYSSEY’
- Stray Kids – ‘KARMA’
- G-Dragon – ‘Übermensch’
- ZEROBASEONE – ‘NEVER SAY NEVER’
- TOMORROW X TOGETHER – ‘The Star Chapter: TOGETHER’
- ENHYPEN – ‘DESIRE: UNLEASH’
- SEVENTEEN – ‘HAPPY BURSTDAY’
The ten winners of the Best Digital Song Bonsang are:
- BOYNEXTDOOR – “If I Say, I Love You”
- LE SSERAFIM – “Hot”
- ALLDAY PROJECT – “Famous”
- Rosé – “toxic till the end”
- Jennie – “like JENNIE”
- BLACKPINK – “JUMP”
- ZO ZAZZ – “Don’t You Know”
- aespa – “Dirty Work”
- G-DRAGON – “HOME SWEET HOME”
- IVE – “Rebel Heart”
Acceptance Speeches and Winner Reactions
Upon winning the Album of the Year award, Stray Kids shared their gratitude. The group mentioned they did not expect to give a grand prize speech and reflected on their eight-year journey.
“We have many memories of laughing and crying while walking for about 8 years, but I think we can call them memories because we are with our fans. We will become artists who continue to build good and honest memories with our fans,” said Stray Kids.
G-Dragon, who won Song of the Year, could not attend in person but sent a video message. He congratulated the awards on their 40th anniversary and shared news with fans.
“I heard the Golden Disc Awards is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Congratulations. I wish you all a happy new year, and this year, the Big Bang members and I will return. Thank you,” said G-Dragon.
Jennie, who took home the new Artist of the Year prize along with three other awards, expressed her happiness on stage. She dedicated the win to her fans, family, and staff.
“This is the year we celebrate our 10th anniversary since debut. I think I’ve gotten closer to my dream because of the time I’ve run without stopping, so I’m happy. I want to send infinite love and thanks to the fans and all the staff and family who have struggled with us,” said Jennie.
Special and Popularity Award Winners
Several other awards were presented during the ceremony to recognize a wide range of achievements. The Rookie Artist of the Year awards, which can only be won once in an artist’s career, went to CORTIS and ALLDAY PROJECT. The Golden Disc Upbit Most Popular Artist Award, decided by fan voting, was given to Jin of BTS for the male category and Hearts2Hearts for the female category.
The other special awards presented were:
- Best Performance Award: izna, TWS
- Best Group Award: MONSTA X
- Naver AI Choice Award: BOYNEXTDOOR
- Cosmopolitan Artist Award: IVE
- Global Impact Award: Jennie
- Next Generation Award: KiiiKiii
- Golden Choice Award: ARrC, CLOSE YOUR EYES
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Major Performances and Stage Highlights
The 40th-anniversary show featured a special lineup of performances to celebrate Korean music history. As part of a “Golden Disc Powerhouse 40” segment, younger artists covered songs from iconic musicians who shaped the industry.
Some standout cover performances included TWS singing BTS’s “Spring Day,” izna performing Wonder Girls’ “Be My Baby,” and LE SSERAFIM’s Huh Yunjin covering Kim Hyun-sik’s “Like Rain, Like Music”. KiiiKiii performed Lee Moon-sae’s “Flying, Deep in the Night,” and ATEEZ’s Jongho sang Kim Kwang-seok’s “Those Days”.
The ceremony also featured full performance sets from most of the attending artists, including IVE, ENHYPEN, ZEROBASEONE, aespa, and MONSTA X, making it a lengthy celebration of K-pop hits from the eligibility period of November 2024 to November 2025. The event was livestreamed internationally on platforms like Naver CHZZK in Korea, ABEMA in Japan, and PRIZM for global viewers.
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