The 40th Golden Disc Awards marked a major milestone for one of K-pop’s longest-running ceremonies, and the anniversary edition went big—big venue, big lineup, and an expanded set of top prizes. Held on January 10, 2026 at Taipei Dome in Taiwan, the show placed Jennie, G-Dragon, and Stray Kids at the center of the night’s headline story, with each taking home one of the ceremony’s highest honors.
A milestone edition in a massive arena
This year’s ceremony wasn’t just a routine stop on the awards calendar. The organizers staged the 40th anniversary at Taipei Dome, described as the city’s largest indoor arena with a 40,000 capacity, underscoring just how global the Golden Disc Awards have become.
It also carried “first-time” weight for the headliners: Korea JoongAng Daily noted it would be Jennie’s first Taipei performance as a soloist and Stray Kids’ first show in the city, giving the Taipei setting extra meaning beyond a simple change of location.
What changed: a new Daesang category reshapes the top tier
For the 40th edition, Golden Disc introduced a third Daesang (grand prize)—Artist of the Year—to sit alongside the long-established Album of the Year and Song of the Year. In other words, the ceremony didn’t just crown the biggest album and biggest song; it also formally recognized the year’s defining act.
That change matters because it reframes the “top winner” conversation. Instead of one trophy dominating the narrative, the grand prizes can now spotlight different kinds of impact: album power, digital reach, and overall artistry/era-defining presence.
The three biggest winners: Daesang sweep
Here’s how the top prizes landed:
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Album of the Year (Album Daesang): Stray Kids – “KARMA”
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Song of the Year (Digital Daesang): G-Dragon – “HOME SWEET HOME (feat. Taeyang and Daesung)”
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Artist of the Year (Artist Daesang): Jennie
It’s a clean, headline-ready trio: a blockbuster group release, a high-profile digital track from a legacy icon, and a solo star taking the newly created “biggest artist” crown.
Bonsang highlights: the night’s “main prize” roll call
Golden Disc is known for its Bonsang structure—recognizing multiple top performers rather than limiting categories to a single winner. According to Soompi’s winners list, the Best Album (Album Bonsang) recipients included: NCT WISH, ATEEZ, IVE, RIIZE, Stray Kids, G-Dragon, ZEROBASEONE, TXT, SEVENTEEN, and ENHYPEN.
For Best Digital Song (Digital Bonsang), the honored acts included: BOYNEXTDOOR, LE SSERAFIM, ALLDAY PROJECT, Rosé, Jennie, BLACKPINK, ZO ZAZZ, aespa, IVE, and G-Dragon.
Read that list out loud and you can feel the story of the year: established chart forces holding steady, newer names breaking through, and “brand power” groups continuing to dominate public conversation.
More key awards that rounded out the show
Beyond the Daesangs and Bonsangs, several categories helped define the ceremony’s broader narrative:
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Rookie Artist of the Year: CORTIS, ALLDAY PROJECT
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Most Popular Artist Award: Jin, Hearts2Hearts
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Best Performance: izna, TWS
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Best Group: MONSTA X
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Global Impact Award: Jennie
These awards tend to be where you can spot momentum early—especially rookie and performance categories—because they capture who’s converting attention into real fanbase growth.
Who stacked the most trophies?
If you’re tracking “overall dominance,” Wikipedia’s event summary lists G-Dragon, IVE, and Jennie as the top trophy collectors, each with three awards on the night.
That detail supports the broader vibe: this wasn’t a ceremony where one act swallowed everything. Instead, the 40th anniversary spread its prestige across multiple centers of gravity—solo power, group sales, and digital reach all getting their own spotlight.
The bigger takeaway
The 40th Golden Disc Awards in Taipei felt like a statement edition: a bigger stage, a refreshed top-prize structure, and winners that represent three different lanes of K-pop dominance. Stray Kids took the clearest “album era” victory, G-Dragon reminded everyone what a heavyweight digital moment looks like, and Jennie’s Artist of the Year win positioned her not just as a hitmaker, but as the era-defining force the new Daesang was designed to recognize.
