[Edaily Reporter KIM HYUNSIK ] Young K of DAY6, a band that set the K-pop scene ablaze this year, along with the groups TREASURE, LISENNE, and ANDERBLE, took home the top honors at the “2026 KGMA.”

Young K, TREASURE, Lisanne, and ANDERBLE took home “Grand” trophies on the first day of the “2026 KGMA,” “Artist Day,” held on the 7th at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul.
Young K and TREASURE were named recipients of the “Grand Artist” award—given to artists who have left a symbolic mark on the K-pop industry—and the “Grand Song” award—given to artists who have received high musical acclaim, respectively. Lisanne and Andable enjoyed the honor of receiving the “Grand Honors Choice” award, presented to artists who have achieved remarkable success.
Young K took home five awards, including “Best Artist,” “Best Solo Artist (Male),” “Best OST,” and the “Kugung Most Popular Award.” He expressed his gratitude, saying, “Thank you for giving me such an exhilarating day.” He continued, “As I always say, ‘My Day’ (his fan club name) is the reason I get to live as Young K. I’m always grateful,” he said, expressing his gratitude to his fans.
TREASURE won three awards, taking home “Best Artist,” “Best Hip-Hop,” and “Trend of the Year” (Group Category). They said, “Thank you for giving us these wonderful and precious awards,” and pledged, “We will work really hard from now on to become great artists.”

Lissenne swept the “Best Artist,” “Best Memory,” and “BERRIES Global Fan Choice” awards, taking home a total of four trophies. The members stated, “We know that receiving awards is not a given. We also know that the love you send us is more than we deserve,” adding, “We will strive to be a Lissenne that continues to grow.”
Andable received two trophies, including the “IS Rising Star” award. They expressed, “We are grateful to have received such a major award right after our debut,” and added, “We will become artists who can repay our fans’ love and make them proud.”
Other winners of the “Best Artist” award announced that day included P1Harmony, CRAVITY, All Day Project, Close Your Eyes, Triple S, CYKER, Miyao, Lucy, BTS, Cortis, Stray Kids, and BLACKPINK.

Among them, CRAVITY took home three awards, winning “Best Stage” in the male category and “Best Music Video.” They said, “We were able to receive these awards thanks to our fans,” adding, “We will continue to work hard and take on new challenges as CRAVITY, so we’d appreciate it if you’d continue to support us.”
Dayoung won two awards: “Best Solo” in the female category and “Style Icon.” Holding her trophies, Dayoung expressed her joy, saying, “Thanks to the awards I received today, I think I’ll be able to release a new song next year.”
Lee Ju-heon, CEO of The Muse Entertainment, who nurtured Lisenne, received the “Best Producer” award. CEO Lee shared his thoughts, saying, “I never once thought Lisenne would fail because I believed in the members’ potential,” and added, “Many people recognized Lisenne’s potential. This achievement isn’t mine alone—it belongs to everyone who helped us.”

The “KGMA” is an awards ceremony newly established in 2024 by Ilgan Sports (Edaily M)—which marks its 57th anniversary this year—to present a new paradigm for the South Korean pop music industry. Now in its third year, this year’s ceremony is hosted by Ilgan Sports and co-organized by the KGMA Organizing Committee and Creatoring.
The first day, themed “Artist Day,” featured performances by Nobel Bright, Nueara, Dayoung, Lucy, Lisenne, Maydin, Miyao, Cykerus, iDIT, Andable, Young K, All Day Project, Jang Min-ho, CRAVITY, Close Your Eyes, TUID, TREASURE, Triple S, P1Harmony, and Fifty Fifty were among the performers. Actors Nam Ji-hyun and Lisenne Won-i served as MCs.
The performing artists delighted the eyes and ears of domestic and international K-pop fans in attendance with their spectacular performances. There was also a flood of special stages exclusive to the “2026 KGMA,” including Lisenne Won-yi’s cover of “Atlantis Girl” (BoA), iDIT’s cover of “Cherry Bomb” (NCT 127), Close Your Eyes’ cover of “No Doubt” (ENHYPEN), and a collaborative stage between the Japanese band Novelbright and Young K.

Outside the venue, the “KK-Beauty Festa” drew a positive response by offering various hands-on programs, including product exhibitions and dance challenges. Prior to the main awards ceremony, the “Star Road” event took place, where performing artists held an official photo session on stage to interact closely with ticket holders, further heating up the atmosphere on site.
Music and album data for the “KGMA” were provided by Hanteo Chart, Genie Music, FLO, and Bugs, while the official fan voting was conducted via the KooGung app. The awards ceremony was broadcast live on ENA. In Japan, it was streamed live on Hulu Japan, and in regions outside of Japan and China, it was streamed live on TikTok Live.
The “2026 KGMA” will continue through the 8th, when “Music Day” takes place. On the second day, NEXZ, RISE, Minho, Park Ji-hyun, BILLIE, Ahop, Alpha Drive One, A.N., ATEEZ, Wayation V, Yuna, ITZY, Choi Ye-na, Kiss of Life, Kiki, Kickflip, Touched, TOURS, and Hearts to Hearts will take the stage. Shownu from the duo Shownu X Hyungwon will not be attending due to health reasons; Hyungwon, along with MONSTA X members Kihyun and Jooheon, will attend in his place. Actors Kim Jae-won and IVE’s Liz will serve as MCs.

◇List of “2026 KGMA” Artist Day Winners (Groups)
△Grand Artist = Young K
△Grand Song = TREASURE
△Grand Honors Choice: Lisenne, Andable
△Best Artist = Young K, TREASURE, Lisenne, P1Harmony, CRAVITY, All Day Project, Close Your Eyes, Triple S, CYKER, Miyao, Lucy, BTS, Cortis, Stray Kids, BLACKPINK
△Best Memory=Lisenne
△Best Trot Performance = Jang Min-ho
△Best Band = Lucy
△Best Solo Artist = Young K, Dayoung
△Best Dance Performance = I-DIT
△Best Stage = CRAVITY, FIFTY FIFTY
△Best Producer = Lee Ju-heon (The Muse Entertainment)
△Best Hip-Hop = TREASURE
△Best Music Video = CRAVITY
△Best OST = Young K
△IS Rising Star = Andouble, Tuid
△IS Rising Star = Nuera
△Special Award for Asian Cultural Exchange = Nobel Bright
△BERRIES Global Fan Choice = Lisenne
△Style Icon = Dayoung
△Photogenic = Maidin
△Hallyu Popularity Award = NCT Wish You
△Trend of the Year (Group) = TREASURE
△Trend of the Year (Rookie) = Flare U
△Kugung Top Popularity Award (Artist Day) = Young K