 |
| Japan Gold Disc Awards 2026 Winners List Highlights J-Pop, K-Pop, and Global Hits. (Credits: Yahoo JP |
The winners of the Japan Gold Disc Awards 2026 have been officially announced, with Snow Man emerging as one of the night’s biggest winners after taking Artist of the Year (Japanese). The annual awards, organised by the Recording Industry Association of Japan, recognise the best-selling artists and releases based on sales recorded between 1 January and 31 December 2025.
In a results sheet reflecting both domestic dominance and global influence, The Beatles secured Artist of the Year (Western) while K-pop powerhouse Stray Kids was named Best Asian Artist.
Rising group HANA also made a notable breakthrough, winning New Artist of the Year (Japanese) and appearing among the Best 5 New Artists (Japanese) list, marking one of the most talked-about debuts in Japan’s current pop landscape.
The awards remain one of Japan’s most closely watched industry barometers because the winners are determined purely by verified sales figures, not fan voting.
That sales-based model often produces a snapshot of the commercial pulse of the music market across J-pop, K-pop, Western music and niche genres such as jazz and enka.
Snow Man Dominates the Major Categories
Beyond Artist of the Year, Snow Man continued their strong run in the Japanese music industry with their compilation “THE BEST 2020-2025” winning Album of the Year (Japanese).
The group also appeared multiple times in the Best 5 Albums (Japanese) category and picked up Music Video of the Year (Japanese) for “Snow Man Dome Tour 2024 RAYS.”
The scale of the group’s presence across the awards once again highlights their position as one of Japan’s most commercially powerful idol acts, particularly in physical album and concert video sales.
Key Winners at Japan Gold Disc Award 2026
Artist of the Year
Japanese: Snow Man
Western: The Beatles
Best Asian Artist
Stray Kids
Best Enka / Kayokyoku Artist
Seiko Matsuda
New Artist of the Year
Japanese: HANA
Western: KATSEYE
Asia: TWS
Best 5 New Artists (Japanese)
CANDY TUNE
CUTIE STREET
HANA
MATSURI
Rosy Chronicle
Best 3 New Artists (Western)
Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso
KATSEYE
Best 3 New Artists (Asia)
ILLIT
TWS
PLAVE
Best Enka / Kayokyoku New Artist
Nakamura Yuito
Album of the Year
Japanese: Snow Man – THE BEST 2020-2025
Western: Lady Gaga – MAYHEM
Asia: Stray Kids – Hollow
Best 5 Albums (Japanese)
&TEAM – Back to Life
Snow Man – Onkochishin
Snow Man – THE BEST 2020-2025
timelesz – FAM
Mrs. GREEN APPLE – 10
Best 3 Albums (Western)
The Beatles – Anthology 4
Taylor Swift – The Life of a Showgirl
Lady Gaga – MAYHEM
Best 3 Albums (Asia)
Stray Kids – Hollow
SEVENTEEN – HAPPY BURSTDAY
TOMORROW X TOGETHER – Starkissed
Classic Album of the Year
Hakase Taro – The Symphonic Sessions II
Jazz Album of the Year
Uehara Hiromi Hiromi’s Sonicwonder – OUT THERE
Instrumental Album of the Year
Hakase Taro – THE BEST OF 35 YEARS
Soundtrack Album of the Year
Various Artists – Super Mario RPG Original Soundtrack
Animation Album of the Year
Hasu no Sora Jogakuin School Idol Club – Oide yo! Ishikawa Daikanko
Traditional Album of the Year
Nippon Colombia Ginei Ongakkai – 2025 Nendo (Dai 61 Kai) Nippon Colombia Zenkoku Ginei Konkuru Kadai Gin Baikaoren
Planning Album of the Year
Various Artists – Dear Jubilee -RADWIMPS TRIBUTE-
Single of the Year
INI – THE WINTER MAGIC
Best 5 Singles
INI – THE WINTER MAGIC
&TEAM – Go in Blind (Getsuro)
Snow Man – SERIOUS
Nogizaka46 – Same numbers
Nogizaka46 – Biryani
Music Video of the Year
Japanese: Snow Man – Snow Man Dome Tour 2024 RAYS
Western: Pink Floyd – Pink Floyd at Pompeii
Asia: Stray Kids – Stray Kids Fan Connecting 2024 “SKZ TOY WORLD”
Best 3 Music Videos
SixTONES – YOUNG OLD
Snow Man – Snow Man Dome Tour 2024 RAYS
Mrs. GREEN APPLE – Zenjin Mitos to Weltraum ~Meimei Hen~
Song of the Year by Download
Japanese: Yonezu Kenshi – Plazma
Western: JENNIE – like JENNIE
Asia: HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI, KPop Demon Hunters Cast – Golden
Best 3 Songs by Download
Yonezu Kenshi – IRIS OUT
Yonezu Kenshi – Plazma
Yonezu Kenshi – BOW AND ARROW
Song of the Year by Streaming
Japanese: Yonezu Kenshi – IRIS OUT
Western: Lady Gaga – Abracadabra
Asia: HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI, KPop Demon Hunters Cast – Golden
Best 5 Songs by Streaming
Sakanaction – Kaiju
HANA – ROSE
Mrs. GREEN APPLE – Kusushiki
Mrs. GREEN APPLE – Darling
Yonezu Kenshi – IRIS OUT
Yonezu Kenshi Sweeps the Digital Categories
While Snow Man dominated physical sales, singer-songwriter Yonezu Kenshi quietly controlled the digital space. His hit “IRIS OUT” took Song of the Year by Streaming (Japanese) and appeared multiple times in download rankings, reinforcing his reputation as one of Japan’s most consistently streamed artists.
The awards also reflected the increasing cross-border influence of Asian pop. Groups such as Stray Kids, SEVENTEEN, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, ILLIT, and TWS all featured prominently in major categories.
Fan reactions across Japanese and international music communities quickly began circulating online after the announcement. Many fans praised Snow Man’s sweeping wins as proof of their massive album-buying fanbase, while others highlighted Yonezu Kenshi’s digital success as a reminder of how streaming now shapes the industry.
K-pop fans also welcomed the strong showing from Stray Kids, particularly their Album of the Year (Asia) win for “Hollow.” Meanwhile, the recognition for rookie acts such as HANA, ILLIT, and TWS sparked discussion about the next wave of Asian pop artists beginning to break into Japan’s competitive market.
With the full winners list now revealed, debate among listeners is already underway about which artists dominated the year and which names were missing from the lineup. Which result surprised you the most, and which artist do you think truly owned 2025?