Kpop stars came together for a historic night as the 40th Golden Disc Awards (GDA) were held at the Taipei Dome in Taiwan. Widely known as one of the oldest and most trusted award shows in K-pop, the Golden Disc Awards celebrated its 40th anniversary. Veteran singer Sung Si Kyung and K-drama actress Mun Ka Young returned as hosts.
This milestone edition introduced a brand-new top honor, Artist of the Year, also known as the Artist Daesang. The new award now stands alongside Album of the Year and Digital Song of the Year as the ceremony’s highest prizes. Daesangs went to Jennie, G-Dragon, and Stray Kids.
In the Digital Song Bonsang category, aespa, Rosé, Jennie, ALLDAY PROJECT, BLACKPINK, IVE, and more received awards. The Album Bonsang awards went to ATEEZ, ENHYPEN, G-Dragon, IVE, NCT WISH, RIIZE, SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, and more.
New talent CORTIS and ALLDAY PROJECT were named New Artists of the Year. Jin of BTS and rookie group Hearts2Hearts received the Golden Disc Upbit Most Popular Artist.
Jennie, who made her second solo K-pop awards appearance, took home three awards, including Daesang.
The ceremony was also packed with memorable performances. ZEROBASEONE’s Sung Hanbin and Zhang Hao opened the show with a tribute to BoA by performing “Better.” Rookie group CORTIS took the stage, followed by strong performances from LE SSERAFIM, IVE, and ATEEZ.
Special cover stages by TWS and izna paid homage to BTS and Wonder Girls. As expected, the solo stage by Jennie stood out the most.
The 40th Golden Disc Awards were broadcast live worldwide through Naver CHZZK in Korea, ABEMA in Japan, and TVBS and Disney+ in Taiwan.
40th Golden Disc Awards Winners
The complete list of Golden Disc Awards 2026 winners includes:
Artist of the Year (Daesang)
- Jennie (BLACKPINK)
Song of the Year (Daesang)
- HOME SWEET HOME (G-Dragon)
Album of the Year (Daesang)
- Stray Kids (KARMA)
Best Album (Bonsang)
- ATEEZ (Golden Hour : Part.2)
- IVE (IVE EMPATHY)
- NCT WISH (COLOR)
- RIIZE (Odyssey)
- G-Dragon (Übermensch)
- Stray Kids (Karma)
- TXT (The Star Chapter: TOGETHER)
- ZEROBASEONE (Never Say Never)
- ENHYPEN (DESIRE : UNLEASH)
- SEVENTEEN (Happy Burstday)
Best Digital Song (Bonsang)
- Rosé (toxic till the end)
- Jennie (like JENNIE)
- ALLDAY PROJECT (Famous)
- LE SSERAFIM (HOT)
- BOYNEXTDOOR (If I Say, I Love You)
- aespa (Dirty Work)
- Zo Zazz (Don’t you know)
- BLACKPINK (Jump)
- G-Dragon ft. Taeyang, Daesung (HOME SWEET HOME)
- IVE (Rebel Heart)
Best Group
- MONSTA X
Rookie of the Year
- CORTIS
- ALLDAY PROJECT
Global Impact Award
- Jennie (BLACKPINK)
Most Popular Artist
- Hearts2Hearts
- Jin (BTS)
Best Performance
- TWS
- izna
Cosmopolitan Artist Award
- IVE
Next Generation Award
- KiiiKiii
Golden Choice
- CLOSE YOUR EYES
- ArRC
Naver AI Choice
- BOYNEXTDOOR
Congratulations to GDA 2026 winners!