Winners of the 'ASEA 2026' Day 1

ENHYPEN emerged as the biggest winner on the first night of the 'Asia Star Entertainer Awards 2026' ('ASEA 2026'), taking home three awards including two grand prizes. Held on May 16 at the Belluna Dome in Saitama, Japan, the third annual ceremony brought together major K-pop and Asian artists for the first day of the two-day event. The group won 'Artist of the Year' and 'Album of the Year' for 'DESIRE : UNLEASH', along with 'The Platinum' (Bonsang) award.

BLACKPINK claimed 'Song of the Year' for their track 'Jump', securing one of the ceremony’s top honors. Meanwhile, &TEAM was named 'Performance of the Year' for their stage presence and performances. The Platinum category also included ENHYPEN, &TEAM, IVE, ALPHA DRIVE ONE, CUTIE STREET, and FRUITS ZIPPER. Rookie group ALPHA DRIVE ONE won 'The Best New Artist' award following a strong debut year.

In the acting categories, 2PM’s Lee Jun Ho and actress Kim Hye Yoon were named 'Best Artist (Actor)', while Go Youn Jung won both 'Best OTT Artist' and 'Best Character (Actor)'. Lee Jun Ho also received 'Best Character (Actor)' recognition. Lim Young Woong took home 'Best Solo' and 'Best Trot', while i-dle's Yuqi was also named 'Best Solo'. MONSTA X was awarded 'Top Touring Artist'. Producer Kimura Misa received the 'Producer Award', and dancer Kyoka was named 'Best Performance'.

Special categories also included 'The Great Legacy Artist' awarded to Sato Atsuhiro, along with 'Hot Trend' and 'Hot Icon' honors recognizing acts such as VVUP, IDID, CANDY TUNE, SWEET STEADY, DXTEEN, CUTIE STREET, and FRUITS ZIPPER.

Following the massive success of Day 1, the 'ASEA 2026' festivities continued into May 17 for its second day of performances and awards. Day 2 delivered an even more explosive lineup, featuring powerhouse stages from global trends like ATEEZ, xikers, and more, successfully wrapping up the star-studded two-day celebration under the enthusiastic cheers of Asian fans.

ASEA 2026 Day 1 Winners List

Grand Prizes (Daesangs)

• 'Artist of the Year': ENHYPEN
• 'Album of the Year': ENHYPEN – 'DESIRE : UNLEASH'
• 'Song of the Year': BLACKPINK – 'Jump'

Main Awards & Category Winners

• 'Performance of the Year': &TEAM
• 'The Platinum (Bonsang)': ENHYPEN, IVE, FRUITS ZIPPER, CUTIE STREET, ALPHA DRIVE ONE, &TEAM
• 'Best New Artist': ALPHA DRIVE ONE
• 'Best Solo': Lim Young Woong, Yuqi
• 'Best Trot': Lim Young Woong
• 'Top Touring Artist': MONSTA X
• 'Producer Award': Kimura Misa
• 'Best Performance': Kyoka
• 'Great Legacy Artist': Sato Atsuhiro

Acting Categories

• 'Best Artist (Actor)': Lee Jun Ho, Kim Hye Yoon
• 'Best OTT Artist': Go Youn Jung
• 'Best Character (Actor)': Lee Jun Ho, Go Youn Jung

Special Awards

• 'Hot Trend': VVUP, IDID, CANDY TUNE, SWEET STEADY
• 'Hot Icon': DXTEEN, CUTIE STREET, FRUITS ZIPPER