Highlights
- Stray Kids led the K-pop winners at the Japan Gold Disc Awards 2026 with four wins.
- Jennie and KPop Demon Hunters dominated digital categories, marking significant victories for K-pop winners at the Japan Gold Disc Awards 2026.
- TWS, ILLIT, and KATSEYE secured major newcomer titles, highlighting the next wave of K-pop.
K-pop’s unstoppable global momentum has officially conquered the 40th Japan Gold Disc Awards. Announced this March by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ), the 2026 winners list serves as the ultimate proof of South Korean music’s commercial grip on the world’s second-largest music market. These awards are strictly driven by hard data, tracking physical CD sales, downloads, and streams from January 1 to December 31, 2025.
These wins represent the genuine, measurable buying power of K-pop fans today. Leading the charge among the K-pop winners at the Japan Gold Disc Awards 2026 were Stray Kids with a record-breaking four-trophy sweep, proving that the 4th-generation boy group is an absolute titan in the industry.
Stray Kids emerged as the undisputed kings of the night, clinching four trophies, the absolute highest number for any Asian act at this year’s ceremony. The eight-member group was crowned Best Asian Artist, a testament to their sustained dominance across all formats.
Their hit Japanese mini-album, Hollow, not only secured a spot in the Best 3 Albums (Asia) but also took home the highly coveted Album of the Year (Asia), confirming its status as one of the region’s top-selling releases. Proving their live-performance pull is just as strong as their audio sales, the group’s live Blu-ray, Stray Kids Fan Connecting 2024 'SKZ TOY WORLD', won Music Video of the Year (Asia).
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BLACKPINK Jennie at Japan Gold Disc Awards
Beyond the physical album titans, BLACKPINK’s Jennie proved her solo star power by dominating the digital space. She won Song of the Year by Download (Western) for her track like JENNIE. This victory highlights how Korean artists are increasingly competing and winning in global pop arenas.
Meanwhile, established boy groups maintained their iron grip on physical sales. Tomorrow X Together (TXT) earned a Best 3 Albums (Asia) nod for their Japanese studio album Starkissed. SEVENTEEN matched this feat, claiming a Best 3 Albums (Asia) trophy for their Korean album HAPPY BURSTDAY, proving that language is no barrier to moving units when backed by a fiercely loyal fanbase.
The awards also highlighted the massive crossover appeal of cross-media collaborations and localized groups. The animated megahit KPop Demon Hunters took over the song categories with its track Golden. The song achieved a rare double crown, winning both Song of the Year by Download (Asia) and Song of the Year by Streaming (Asia).
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Japanese and Global Music Icons Share the Spotlight
On the domestic front, HYBE’s Japan-based boy group &TEAM proved their mainstream appeal by winning Best 5 Albums (Japanese) for Back to Life and Best 5 Singles (Japanese) for Go In Blind.
The rookie takeover was just as explosive, proving that fresh acts are turning debut buzz into heavy commercial results. TWS was crowned New Artist of the Year (Asia), reflecting their massive early numbers, and shared the Best 3 New Artists (Asia) honor with the virtual idol group PLAVE and the viral sensation ILLIT.
The rookie wave extended well beyond the Asian categories; HYBE’s global girl group KATSEYE made huge waves in the Western division, taking home New Artist of the Year (Western) and earning a spot in the Best 3 New Artists (Western) category.
While K-pop undeniably stole the show, the ceremony also honored massive domestic and global stars. The Japanese categories were heavily dominated by Snow Man, who took home Artist of the Year (Japanese), Album of the Year (Japanese) for THE BEST 2020-2025, and Music Video of the Year (Japanese).
Soloist HANA secured New Artist of the Year (Japanese), while Yonezu Kenshi swept the streaming and download categories with hits like Plazma. On the global front, The Beatles were named Artist of the Year (Western), and Lady Gaga claimed Album of the Year (Western) for Mayhem, showing that while K-pop is carving out a massive slice of the pie, the Japanese music market remains a vibrant, globally diverse landscape.
