Golden Disc Awards 2026 Major Winners: Stray Kids Take Album of the Year and Jennie Artist of the Year, Among Multiple Honors
January 12, 2026
The 40th Golden Disc Awards with Upbit, held at the Taipei Dome, showcased the K-pop scene that shone in 2025. Album of the Year went to Stray Kids for their fourth full-length KARMA, while the Digital Song of the Year went to G-Dragon and Artist of the Year to Jennie. The ceremony determined its winners by a combined score: 60% from quantitative metrics measuring album sales and digital usage, and 40% from expert judging. Stray Kids’ KARMA and SKZ IT TAPE also marked consecutive entries on the 2025 Billboard 200, and their 2025 achievements resonated at the 2026 ceremony. Stray Kids additionally captured the Main Album award, earning a rare two-title sweep. The members said, 'Eight years walking with Stay through tears and laughter have become precious memories.' Jennie secured three wins: Artist of the Year, Digital Song Main Award, and the Global Impact Award with Prism. On the red carpet, her ruby-inspired styling captivated the cameras, and on stage she delivered a versatile performance with rearrangements of 'Filter', 'Damn Right (feat. Childish Gambino, Kali Uchis)', and 'like JENNIE'. Jennie added, 'This is the year of my 10th debut anniversary, and it feels almost like a dream coming true.' G-Dragon also claimed the Digital Song of the Year and the Digital Song Main Award, making him a three-time winner. The ceremony also featured the emergence of rookies in the New Artist category, with ZEROBASEONE, IVE, and MONSTA X among the winners in the Main Album category. IVE achieved a historic three-peat by winning both the Main Album and Digital Song awards for the third consecutive year and took the Cosmopolitan Artist Award. Their performance highlighted bright energy and support messages, reflecting their 2025 million-seller run and looking ahead to 2026. ENHYPEN won the Best Album award for the fifth consecutive year, while All Day PROJECT and Cortis stood out as New Artists. The Golden Disc Awards, linked with its 40th anniversary project, delivered generations-spanning stages and once again wrote K-pop history. The ceremony reaffirmed the global presence of artists across generations and raised expectations for upcoming world tours and musical activities in the new year.