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The 40th Golden Disc Awards: K-Pop Takes Taiwan by Storm

40th Golden Disc Awards highlights: Jennie's 4-crown win, Stray Kids, G-Dragon triumph. See all 2026 winners.
Digital Song Division nominees at Golden Disc Awards 2026 including ROSÉ, MAKTUB, SEVENTEEN, IU, OVAN, Woody, JENNIE, ZO ZAZZ, Hwang Karam, and aespa
Digital Song Division Nominees - Golden Disc Awards 2026
The Golden Disc Awards took place on January 10, 2026, at the Taipei Dome in Taiwan. Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Korea's most prestigious and fair music awards show brought together K-pop's biggest stars and showcased the genre's remarkable global expansion.

This year's Taiwan venue symbolizes the deepening connection between K-pop and international audiences, and the genre's borderless appeal.

Album Division nominees at Golden Disc Awards 2026 featuring THE BOYZ, BAEKHYUN, SEVENTEEN, i-dle, CxM, JENNIE, Jin, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, aespa, and ATEEZ
Album Division Winners - Golden Disc Awards 2026

Major Winners

The night's top honors went to:

Album of the Year – Stray Kids (KARMA)
Digital Song of the Year – G-Dragon ("Home Sweet Home")
Artist of the Year – Jennie (BLACKPINK)

Digital Song Division

  • TWS – "toxic till the end"
  • JENNIE – "like JENNIE"
  • JUMP – "Black Girls"
  • aespa – "Dirty Work"
  • IVE – "REBEL HEART"
  • LE SSERAFIM – "HOT"
  • BOYNEXTDOOR – "Only Today I LOVE YOU"
  • ALLDAY PROJECT – "FAMOUS"

Album Division

  • ATEEZ – GOLDEN HOUR : Part.2
  • NCT WISH – COLOR
  • IVE – IVE EMPATHY
  • Stray Kids – KARMA
  • RIIZE – ODYSSEY
  • ENHYPEN – DESIRE : UNLEASH
  • G-Dragon – Übermensch

Rookie of the Year

  • CORTIS
  • ALLDAY PROJECT

Other Major Awards

  • Best K-HipHop – Kiiikiii
  • Cosmopolitan Artist Award – IVE
  • Global Impact Award – JENNIE
  • Best Performance – izna, TWS
  • Golden Choice Award – ARrC, CLOSE YOUR EYES

JENNIE receives the Global Impact Award at the Golden Disc Awards

What Made This Year Special

Most notably, Jennie of BLACKPINK became the first recipient of the newly established "Artist of the Year" award. Jennie also won the Global Impact Award, making her a four-crown winner. This year's ceremony demonstrated the growing presence of solo artists in the industry.

The expanded awards structure reflects how today's music market is driven by both the power of fandom and global influence.

My Take

Watching the Golden Disc Awards evolve over 40 years offers profound insight into K-pop's journey from a regional phenomenon to a global cultural force. The ceremony's move to Taiwan demonstrates strategic awareness of where K-pop's strongest fan bases are growing.

Golden Disc Awards performance stage with massive crowd and spectacular lighting at the ceremony venue
Golden Disc Awards Performance Stage

The GDA's overseas hosting sends a clear message: this is no longer simply an annual event that tallies Korean chart rankings. Instead, GDA is evolving into a fusion of international music festival and industry platform. As K-pop continues to evolve, I hope the GDA will cultivate both its tradition and global influence.

A Question for Fans

What improvements does GDA need to make to keep pace with K-pop's global fans?