The K-pop awards calendar is welcoming another major night as the 2026 D Awards with UPICK prepare to return for their second year. Launched in 2025 by Sports Dong-A, one of South Korea’s leading media outlets, the D Awards were created as a ceremony focused entirely on K-pop.
The awards are divided into three color-themed categories, with the Black Label reserved for grand prizes such as Artist of the Year. Plus, the Blue Label covers main and popularity awards, and the Silver Label recognizes emerging artists referred to as the industry’s “Dreamers.”
The first D Awards drew major attention after artists like SEVENTEEN, aespa, and ENHYPEN claimed top honors. The 2026 ceremony is expected to be even larger in scale. It will feature energetic performances from some of the most talked-about acts of the past year.
D Awards 2026 Date
The 2nd D Awards will take place on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, at the Korea University Hwajeong Gymnasium in Seoul. The main ceremony begins at 6:00 PM KST. It will bring together artists and fans to celebrate a year defined by “Dreams” and “Delights.”
How to Watch D Awards 2026 Live
In South Korea, the show will stream live on Channel A Plus, followed by a delayed broadcast on Channel A at 11:40 PM KST. Japanese viewers will be able to watch the ceremony live on TBS Channel 1 and the streaming platform U-NEXT.
International streaming platforms have not been officially announced, and global fans are encouraged to follow the D Awards and UPICK’s social media accounts for updates on viewing options.
Hosts and Presenters
Hosting duties for the night will be handled by a trio of familiar and rising names. Actor Lee Jong Won will return after serving as an MC at last year’s ceremony, joined by actress Shin Ye Eun and BOYNEXTDOOR leader Myung Jaehyun. Together, the three are expected to guide the show through its awards and performances.
A total of 21 presenters from across the entertainment and sports industries will take part in the ceremony. The lineup includes actors
- Ahn Eun Jin
- Jeon Yeo Been
- Ahn Hyo Seop
- Choi Jin Hyuk
- Dasom.
Athletes will also appear on stage, including handball gold medalist Kim On A and tennis player Song Ah. Broadcasters and content creators Kangnam, along with YouTuber duo Kim Hae Jun and Na Bo Ram, are also set to present awards.
2026 D Awards Lineup
The performance lineup features 16 K-pop acts, including the artists with viral hits last year. ENHYPEN, who took home five trophies at the first D Awards and were the most awarded artists of the night, will return to the stage. They will be joined by ZEROBASEONE, P1Harmony, xikers, BOYNEXTDOOR, NCT WISH, and QWER.
The full lineup includes
- P1Harmony
- ENHYPEN
- FIFTY FIFTY
- xikers
- BOYNEXTDOOR
- Hi-Fi Un!corn
- ZEROBASEONE
- 82MAJOR
- QWER
- NCT WISH
- NEXZ
- izna
- KickFlip
- AHOF
- AxMxP
- Chuei Li Yu
Popularity Awards Winners
Fan participation is a central part of the D Awards, with several popularity categories decided entirely through global voting on the UPICK platform. These votes account for 100 percent of the results in their respective categories. While most winners will be revealed during the live ceremony, early rankings were shared for the Best Group Popularity Award in the girl group category as of January 28.
At this point, BABYMONSTER was in first place, followed by QWER, BLACKPINK, aespa, and IVE.
Other fan-voted categories include Best Group Popularity Award for boy groups, Best Solo Popularity Award for male and female artists, and the UPICK Global Choice awards. The popularity awards for male and female artists went to aespa’s Karina and Heeseung of ENHYPEN. Voting for these categories concluded in late January, with final results set to be announced on the night of the show.
At the first D Awards in 2025, SEVENTEEN won Artist of the Year, aespa claimed Song of the Year with “Supernova,” ENHYPEN took Album of the Year for Romance: Untold, and NCT WISH and TWS were named Rookies of the Year.
