The 39th Japan Gold Disc Awards, presented by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ), celebrated some of the biggest K-pop stars this year, with SEVENTEEN, ILLIT, Stray Kids, and aespa among the major winners.
SEVENTEEN once again proved their dominance in the Asian music scene, winning Best Asian Artist for the second consecutive year. The group also secured Album of the Year (Asia) for their compilation album 17 IS RIGHT HERE. Additionally, they took home two of the Best 3 Albums (Asia) awards for 17 IS RIGHT HERE and SPILL THE FEELS, bringing their total wins to four.
ILLIT made an impressive mark at the awards, clinching three honors with their viral debut track, “Magnetic.” The song won Song of the Year by Streaming (Asia) and Song of the Year by Download (Asia). Additionally, it was recognized as one of the Best 5 Songs by Streaming—an incredible feat for a rookie group.
Stray Kids continued their strong presence in Japan, earning two major awards. Their Japanese album GIANT was selected as one of the Best 3 Albums (Asia), while their concert film, “Stray Kids 2nd World Tour ‘MANIAC’ ENCORE in Japan”, won Music Video of the Year (Asia).
Meanwhile, BLACKPINK’s Rosé collaborated with Bruno Mars for the hit track “APT.”, which won Song of the Year by Streaming (Western).
aespa, who made their official Japanese debut in 2024, received the honor of New Artist of the Year (Asia). They were also named one of the Best 3 New Artists (Asia), alongside BOYNEXTDOOR and ZEROBASEONE, both of whom also debuted in Japan last year.
NEXZ rounded out the list of K-pop winners, securing a spot as one of the Best 5 New Artists (Japan).
With K-pop continuing to dominate the Japanese music market, this year’s Japan Gold Disc Awards once again highlighted the genre’s massive influence. Congratulations to all the winners!
