The 2026 K-WORLD DREAM AWARDS is set to take place Thursday, August 27, at KINTEX Exhibition Center 2, Hall 9 in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, bringing together a wide-ranging lineup of K-pop stars for the ceremony’s 10th anniversary. With ATEEZ, RIIZE, LE SSERAFIM, ILLIT, P1Harmony and dozens of other artists scheduled to perform, the event is shaping up as one of the major K-pop award shows of the summer.
Your daily dose of music news, trends, and fresh drops.
InMusic Newsletter
When and Where Is the 2026 K-WORLD DREAM AWARDS?
The 2026 K-WORLD DREAM AWARDS will be held at KINTEX Exhibition Center 2, Hall 9 in Goyang, just outside Seoul, on Thursday, August 27, 2026. The event is scheduled around 6 p.m. KST, while Japanese streaming listings place coverage closer to 6:30 p.m. KST.
This year’s ceremony marks the 10th anniversary of the awards franchise. The event originally launched in 2017 as the Soribada Best K-Music Awards before skipping 2021 amid problems surrounding Soribada. It returned in 2022 and 2023 as the K-Global Heart Dream Awards and adopted the K-WORLD DREAM AWARDS name in 2024.
Organizers have increasingly positioned the ceremony as a broader Hallyu event, combining K-pop awards with international fan engagement, tourism and cultural programming.
Who Is Performing?
The 2026 K-WORLD DREAM AWARDS features one of its largest lineups yet. ATEEZ, P1Harmony, RIIZE, LE SSERAFIM, ILLIT and &TEAM are among the established K-pop acts scheduled to take the stage.
QWER, SeeYa, RESCENE, MEOVV, Hearts2Hearts, KiiiKiii, xikers, 82MAJOR and KickFlip are also part of the lineup. Newer acts including NOWZ, AHOF, AND2BLE, ALPHA DRIVE ONE, AMPERS&ONE and IDID are scheduled to perform as well.
Soloists and other performers include JAY B, Seongri, EVAN, Park Jihyun, XLOV and Hi-Fi Un!corn, giving the ceremony a lineup that spans several generations and corners of the Korean music industry.
Who Is Hosting?
Jeon Hyun-moo and Jang Do-yeon will return as hosts for the fourth consecutive year. The presenter lineup includes actors Kim Seon-ho, Jung Ryeo-won, Lee Chae-min, Jung Sung-il, Jin Ki-joo, Lee Sul and Choo Young-woo, alongside billiards star Kim Ga-young.
2026 K-WORLD DREAM AWARDS Winners
Several awards have already been announced ahead of the ceremony. ATEEZ won the male-group popularity award, while ILLIT took the female-group prize. Park Jihyun won the male-solo popularity award, with Hearts2Hearts member Carmen receiving the female-solo honor. These fan-voted awards were determined entirely through the FANTHEONE app.
The K World Dream Best Album Award recipients are BTS, BLACKPINK, ENHYPEN, NCT WISH and TOMORROW X TOGETHER.
For Best Digital Song, the announced winners include AKMU, Hwasa, I.O.I, IVE, aespa and Choi Yena. The Daesang and remaining categories are expected to be presented during the live ceremony.
Previous Daesang winners include BTS, Stray Kids, NCT 127, aespa and IVE, adding another layer of anticipation around this year’s grand prize.
How to Watch the 2026 K-WORLD DREAM AWARDS
International and Korean fans can watch the ceremony through FANTHEONE, the official paid streaming option. Its packages include Standard access with live streaming and replay, while Premium offers additional blue-carpet access and later VOD availability.
Japanese viewers can watch through an exclusive U-NEXT livestream for subscribers. Fans looking for real-time announcements, schedule changes and additional ceremony information should follow the official @kwda_official X account.
Leave a Reply