DAY6’s Young K was the star of Artist Day at the 2026 Korea Grand Music Awards, taking home five awards including the Grand Artist trophy, the ceremony’s top honour for an individual artist. The first day of the third annual KGMA took place on Saturday, 7 November, at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, hosted by actress Nam Ji-hyun and RESCENE’s Woni.
Young K won Grand Artist, Best Artist, Best Solo, Best OST and the Most Popular Artist award for Artist Day, a clean sweep that made him the most decorated artist of the opening night. The haul caps a remarkable year for the DAY6 bassist and vocalist, who has built a parallel career as a solo artist and songwriter alongside his work with one of K-pop’s most respected bands.
A night for solo stars
Artist Day, the first of the KGMA’s two days, celebrates individual artists and their work, while Music Day, on the Sunday, focuses on groups and recordings. Young K’s five trophies were the most won by any single artist across the whole weekend, matching ITZY’s five on Music Day.
The ceremony, founded by Ilgan Sports in 2024, has quickly become one of Korea’s major year-end music events, with five grand prizes handed out across the two days: Grand Artist, Grand Song, Grand Record, Grand Performer and Grand Honor’s Choice. Young K’s Grand Artist win puts him alongside ATEEZ, who won Grand Record on Music Day, and RIIZE, who won Grand Performer.
What the win means
For DAY6, the win is another milestone in a career that has seen the band evolve from a rock act on the fringes of K-pop to one of the genre’s most acclaimed live bands. Young K’s solo work, including his songwriting and his OST contributions, has earned him a reputation as one of the most versatile musicians in the industry.
The KGMA weekend closed on Sunday with Music Day, where ITZY took five trophies and ATEEZ extended their Grand run to three years. For Young K, though, Saturday night belonged to him: five awards, one grand prize, and a reminder that in K-pop, the most decorated artist of the night can be a bassist in a band as well as a solo star.
Related: YENA Wins Two Trophies at Korea Grand Music Awards 2026; ITZY Take Five Trophies as ATEEZ Win KGMA Grand Record Again
Sources: Kpopwise (8 Nov 2026); Beautipin Seoul (9 Nov 2026); allkpop (8 Nov 2026).
