SEVENTEEN and aespa have claimed the grand prize at the Golden Disc Awards.
At the 39th Golden Disc Awards held on January 4 and 5 at the Fukuoka PayPay Dome in Japan, under the theme of "Coexistence, Connection, and Expansion," the prestigious grand prize was awarded to SEVENTEEN in the album category and aespa in the digital music category. Both teams achieved a double crown by winning the main awards in their respective categories.
SEVENTEEN, who celebrated their 10th anniversary with a perfect attendance at the Golden Disc Awards, won the grand prize in the album category for the second consecutive year with "SPILL THE FEELS," marking a joyful start to their 10th anniversary celebrations. aespa, who caused a "Supernova" syndrome last year, reached the undeniable top position by winning the grand prize in the digital music category just four years after their debut.
The main award in the album category went to SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, IVE, aespa, ATEEZ, NCT Dream, ENHYPEN, ZEROBASEONE, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, and (G)I-DLE, while the main award in the digital music category was awarded to NewJeans, DAY6, BIBI, IVE, IU, ILY:1, aespa, Taeyeon, TO1, and (G)I-DLE.
The rookie award, which can only be received once in a lifetime, was awarded to ILY:1, TO1, Baby Monster, and NCT WISH, who are recognized as new growth icons leading the next generation of K-pop. The Next Generation award went to KISS OF LIFE.
DAY6, who has been at the forefront of popularizing band music, celebrated the start of their 10th anniversary by winning the Best Band award, while Crush took home the Best OST trophy for "I'm Sorry, I Hate You, I Love You," the OST for the tvN drama "Queen of Tears," which was loved as much as the drama itself.
Additionally, LE SSERAFIM made a strong impact on stage and won the Best Group award. (G)I-DLE's WOO GI won the Best Solo Artist award, proving her shining presence.
The Golden Disc Popularity Award for both men and women, determined by "100% voting," was awarded to PLAYB and LE SSERAFIM, who ranked first. The total accumulated votes for both genders reached a staggering 44 million, with PLAYB receiving 15,669,774 votes out of 39,561,956, and LE SSERAFIM receiving 1,781,032 votes out of 4,809,908.
Along with this, the Global K-Pop Artist Award was given to IVE and ENHYPEN, while the Cosmopolitan Artist Award went to NewJeans, and the FANS CHOICE with Nongshim Shin Ramyeon was awarded to ENHYPEN.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the late Shin Hae-chul, who received the Golden Honorable Choice award, confirming the great legacy and power of music that still coexists with us.
Additionally, SEVENTEEN, representing K-pop, and the rookie group TO1, produced by Pledis Entertainment's Master Professional Han Sung-soo, received the first-ever Producer Award at the Golden Disc Awards.
The winners of the 39th Golden Disc Awards were selected based on evaluations from a panel of experts consisting of Golden Disc executive committee members, music reporters, music program PDs, popular music critics, and domestic distribution company representatives (40%), combined with Circle Chart's music usage and album sales data (60%). The evaluation period covered music and albums released from early November 2023 to early November 2024, with sales data collected until the end of November 2024.
[January 5, 2025 - Album Category]
▲ Grand Prize in Album Category = SEVENTEEN
▲ Main Award in Album Category = SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, IVE, aespa, ATEEZ, NCT Dream, ENHYPEN, ZEROBASEONE, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, (G)I-DLE
▲ Rookie Award = Baby Monster, NCT WISH
▲ Best Solo Artist = WOO GI ((G)I-DLE)
▲ FANS CHOICE with Nongshim Shin Ramyeon = ENHYPEN
▲ Producer Award = Han Sung-soo, Pledis Master Professional
▲ Global K-Pop Artist Award = IVE, ENHYPEN
[Geum Bit-na, MK Sports Reporter]
