'MZ wannabe icon' IVE (IVE: Ahn Yujin·Gaeul·Ray·Jang Wonyoung·Reezu·Lee Seo) announced a bright start to the new year by winning three awards at the Golden Disc Awards.
IVE at the 40th Golden Disc Awards (hereafter "Golden Disc") held at Taipei Dome on the 10th won the album grand prize with mini album 3 IVE EMPATHY and the digital song grand prize with the title track "Rebel Heart (REBEL HEART)," and also swept the Cosmopolitan artist award, earning the honor of three crowns.
Through agency Starship Entertainment, IVE said, "We are honored to receive the album and digital song grand prizes at the Golden Disc for three consecutive years, and this year to also receive the Cosmopolitan artist award. Above all, we were able to receive this thanks to our DIVE (official fan club name), who always cheer us on so greatly," and added, "To welcome the new year, we prepared our stage with a 'cheer' concept hoping to give a small boost, and we hope it became a pleasant energy for DIVE and the public."
They continued, "Last year, I hope the message of empathy we wanted to convey through IVE EMPATHY and other albums became a small strength in your daily lives. Especially since we also found much comfort and motivation while preparing this album, it has even greater meaning," adding their 2026 aspiration, "We will apply the strength gained from this award to our soon-to-begin second world tour to become artists who deliver more wonderful music and performances and have a positive influence on DIVE worldwide."
This award once again proved IVE's overwhelming stature. IVE, which entered the Golden Disc in 2023 and made new history by sweeping the rookie award and the digital song grand prize, has written a major record of winning the digital song grand prize for four consecutive years and the album grand prize for three consecutive years through this year.
Notably, after winning the digital song grand prize with a single in their first year, since beginning full-scale album activities they have simultaneously swept the album and digital song grand prizes for three consecutive years through this year, which makes the value and significance of IVE's records even more special.
By also taking the Cosmopolitan artist award, given to artists who maintain their own color while not fearing change and who have great influence on global audiences and fans, and earning the honor of three crowns, they solidified their position as a 'K-pop representative icon' with both skill and influence.
On the day, IVE showed overwhelming stage command befitting a three-award winner. First appearing in bright-energy cheerleader styling, IVE opened the spectacular performance with "Ppibik (♥beats)," a stage that added cheerleading to their existing kitsch sensibility. The witty lyrics and perfect performance amplified IVE's unique charm and delivered a pleasant cheer to mark the start of 2026.
With the mood warmed by Lee Seo's rugby performance leading the cheers, IVE then exuded overwhelming presence with a more majestic arrangement of "Rebel Heart" fitting the 40th anniversary. The members' overflowing energy and dynamic cheerleading performance formed a perfect harmony that captivated the audience. In particular, as this song was called IVE's cheer anthem and was loved as the first song of the new year, IVE made the venue a moving and festive place and brought the awards ceremony to a peak of excitement.
During 2025, IVE consecutively scored hits with mini 3 "Rebel Heart" and mini 4 "XOXZ (XOXZ)," recording unique achievements such as seven consecutive million-seller releases and 20 music program wins. Moving beyond the team's previous color of "self-assurance" to infuse music with deeper messages of "empathy" and "solidarity," IVE, which captivated both the public and fans, reaffirmed the influence of the "IVE syndrome" with this three-award win.
Meanwhile, IVE, which opened the new year energetically as a three-award winner at the Golden Disc, will further expand its global activities and continue communicating with fans worldwide through its second world tour this year.
[Photo] Capture of the 40th Golden Disc Awards
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