K-pop stars who will make the 40th anniversary shine even brighter are gathering. The 40th Golden Disc Awards has unveiled its first artist lineup.
On the 26th, HLL Central, the host and organizer of the Golden Disc Awards, said, "LE SSERAFIM · IVE · NCT WISH · ENHYPEN · ALLDAY PROJECT · IZNAA · ZEROBASEONE · JoJazz · Cortis (in alphabetical order) will appear and perform at the 40th Golden Disc Awards to be held at Taipei Dome on Jan. 10 next year."
LE SSERAFIM adds to the delight by appearing for the fourth consecutive year since their debut. LE SSERAFIM, who recently entered Tokyo Dome with a solo concert, had a standout year. They were loved for songs in a variety of genres, from the lyrical mini fifth album Hot to the distinctive single album Spaghetti. As a result, the title track of the single album, Spaghetti (feat. j-hope of BTS), achieved the group's best performance by reaching No. 50 on the Billboard Hot 100, the main U.S. song chart. LE SSERAFIM, who updated their legendary Golden Disc performances every year, will once again present a never-before-seen, unprecedented stage.
IVE, appearing for the fourth consecutive year, is preparing a special stage that can only be seen at the Golden Disc Awards. After debuting, IVE made new history at the Golden Disc Awards by sweeping the rookie award and the digital music grand prize at the 37th Golden Disc Awards. They also reinvented themselves as a "performing idol" by appearing on the Lollapalooza stage for two consecutive years. Their releases this year, IVE EMPATHY (1.48 million) and IVE SECRET (1.19 million), each surpassed 1 million copies, making them seven consecutive million-sellers. IVE was nominated in both the digital music and album main prize categories with Rebel Heart and IVE EMPATHY.
NCT WISH will also return to the Golden Disc Awards following last year. NCT WISH, who shone with the rookie award last year, achieved two consecutive million-sellers with this year's release Color and was nominated for an album main prize. It was a year that highlighted their career high. They are also very popular in Taipei, where the Golden Disc Awards will be held. Their first concert in Taipei last May was not only sold out, but it was widely covered locally, proving their explosive local popularity.
Global sensation ENHYPEN is not to be missed. ENHYPEN also had a fruitful year. They entered a stadium in Japan in the shortest time after debut for an overseas artist — four years and seven months — and their largest-ever "WALK THE LINE" tour held 32 shows in 19 cities, drawing about 676,000 attendees. In April they also performed at Coachella, the largest music festival in the U.S. ENHYPEN, who are always sincere on stage, are a performance-strong team. Expectations are high for ENHYPEN's stage, which will return with an even more seasoned presence.
ALLDAY PROJECT, which sparked a "mixed-group syndrome," will make its first step onto the Golden Disc stage. Debuting in June, ALLDAY PROJECT drew attention as the first mixed group launched by hitmaker Teddy. Their debut song Famous quickly rose as a "monster rookie," dominating major music charts. They have consecutively posted records beyond typical rookie levels. "Famous" entered charts such as the Billboard Global 200, proving their appeal in overseas music markets. It will be notable what impressive performances they will present at their first Golden Disc visit.
IZNAA will also appear at the Golden Disc Awards. IZNAA, who left an impression on global fans at the Golden Choice stage of the 39th Golden Disc Awards last year, will attend as a nominee for the rookie prize. This year IZNAA surpassed 100 million cumulative streams on Spotify, the world's largest music streaming platform, and proved their dazzling growth by winning their first music show No. 1 on terrestrial TV with the mini second album title track Mamma Mia. They also performed at Japan's largest music festival, Summer Sonic, and at Taiwan's 2025 ALL LOUD KT POP, stepping up as a global rookie.
ZEROBASEONE will attend the Golden Disc Awards for the third consecutive year. From their debut album to their first full-length album released last September, Never Say Never, they achieved six consecutive million-sellers, proving their strength. Never Say Never was also nominated for an album main prize at the Golden Disc Awards. ZEROBASEONE members are also preparing a special stage that can only be seen at the Golden Disc Awards.
JoJazz, who made listeners feel the "power of music," will visit the Golden Disc Awards for the first time. JoJazz's debut song Moresinayo, released last January, dominated major music charts throughout the year and remained in the upper ranks. With a sweet voice and vocal ability, JoJazz quickly captured listeners' hearts. JoJazz was nominated in both the digital music and rookie categories, a double honor. With a distinctive sensibility, JoJazz will color Taipei Dome.
Monster rookie Cortis will welcome a meaningful new year at the Golden Disc Awards. Cortis is the rookie confidently launched by BigHit Music, which launched BTS and TOMORROW X TOGETHER, for the first time in six years. In line with their identity as a "young creator crew," members jointly create everything from music to choreography and music videos. They surpassed first-week sales of 430,000, setting the highest record among debut albums released this year. The album has recorded cumulative sales of 960,000 copies and is on track to become their first million-seller.
[Photo] HLL Central
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