The moment we’ve been waiting for is here. The nominees for Korea’s most prestigious music awards, the 40th Golden Disc Awards in 2026, have been revealed. This year’s competition is fiercer than ever as veterans and rookies are running for the top honors. Ready to see who’s in the running?
40th Golden Disc Awards 2026: Full List of Nominees
This year’s Golden Disc Awards showcase a thrilling mix of nominees from the Kpop world. From veteran groups to rookie groups, they will compete in digital hits, album sales, and rookie categories.
Date, Venue, and Hosts
Singer and entertainer Sung Si-kyung and actress Moon Ga-young will host the Golden Disc Awards ceremony at Taipei Dome on January 10, 2026. At this place, your favorite stars will gather under one roof for K-pop’s biggest night.
Nominees earned their spots based on songs and albums released between November 2024 and early November 2025. The Golden Disc Awards committee used strict sales data—digital streams for songs, physical copies for albums. When artists dropped multiple releases, only their strongest performer made the cut.
Who’s Making Waves in 2025
In each category, you’ll spot some familiar names appearing in both categories. aespa, G-Dragon, IVE, SEVENTEEN, Jennie, and ZO ZAZZ earned nominations in both Digital Song and Album divisions—a rare double achievement.
G-Dragon’s highly anticipated comeback with “Übermensch” and his digital hit “HOME SWEET HOME” featuring Taeyang and Daesung make him one to watch. Meanwhile, BLACKPINK’s Rosé and Jennie both earned solo nominations alongside their group entry—a testament to their individual star power.
The Rookie category tells its own story. Twelve fresh faces compete, but watch for ZEROBASEONE, CORTIS, and ALLDAY PROJECT as they’ve been building serious momentum all year.
Full List of Golden Disc Awards 2026 Nominees
Digital Song Division (Bonsang)
- aespa – “Dirty Work”
- ALLDAY PROJECT – “FAMOUS”
- BLACKPINK – “JUMP”
- BOYNEXTDOOR – “IF I SAY, I LOVE YOU”
- G-Dragon – “HOME SWEET HOME (feat. Taeyang, Daesung)”
- Hearts2Hearts – “The Chase”
- Hwang Karam – “I Miss You So Much”
- IU – “Never Ending Story”
- IVE – “REBEL HEART”
- Jennie – “like JENNIE”
- KiiiKiii – “I DO ME”
- LE SSERAFIM – “HOT”
- MAKTUB – “Starting With You”
- MEOVV – “HANDS UP”
- OVAN – “Flower”
- PLAVE – “Dash”
- Rosé – “Toxic Till The End”
- SEVENTEEN – “THUNDER”
- Woody – “Sadder Than Yesterday”
- ZO ZAZZ – “Don’t you know?”
Album Division (Bonsang)
- &TEAM – “Back to Life”
- aespa – “Rich Man”
- ATEEZ – “GOLDEN HOUR: Part 2”
- Baekhyun – “Essence of Reverie”
- CxM – “HYPE VIBES”
- ENHYPEN – “DESIRE: UNLEASH”
- G-Dragon – “Übermensch”
- (G)I-DLE – “We are”
- IVE – “IVE EMPATHY”
- Jennie – “Ruby”
- Jin – “Happy”
- NCT DREAM – “DREAMSCAPE”
- NCT WISH – “COLOR”
- RIIZE – “ODYSSEY”
- SEVENTEEN – “HAPPY BURSTDAY”
- Stray Kids – “KARMA”
- THE BOYZ – “Unexpected”
- TWICE – “STRATEGY”
- TXT – “The Star Chapter: TOGETHER”
- ZEROBASEONE – “NEVER SAY NEVER”
Rookie Artist of the Year
- AHOF
- ALLDAY PROJECT
- CLOSE YOUR EYES
- CORTIS
- Hearts2Hearts
- IDID
- idntt
- izna
- KickFlip
- KiiiKiii
- NouerA
- ZO ZAZZ
The Countdown Begins Now
As we count down to January 10, remember this isn’t just about trophies. It’s about celebrating how far K-pop has come. So, who will you be cheering for to take home the biggest honors this season? Drop your answer in the comments below.
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