TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Marking a glittering return, the 10th Asia Artist Awards wrapped up in grand fashion at Taiwan’s Kaohsiung National Stadium on December 6. The event drew an impressive 55,000 fans to one of the nation’s largest venues. Featuring a star-studded lineup, the ceremony once again illuminated outstanding talents across both music and acting, celebrating a year defined by significant influence, spectacle, and cultural force.
Launched in 2016 by StarNews and Money Today, the Asia Artist Awards (AAA) has consistently grown into one of the region’s most expansive celebrations, uniquely recognizing actors and musicians on equal footing.
This year’s ceremony stretched for nearly five hours (close to 300 minutes), powered by 23 music acts that kept the energy high from start to finish. For the fifth consecutive year, IVE’s Jang Won-young returned as MC, joined by actor Lee Jun-ho, guiding the night with familiar poise and seasoned confidence.
Full List of 10th Asia Artist Awards Winners
DAESANG (GRAND PRIZE)
Artist of the Year (Singer): Stray Kids
Artist of the Year (Actor): IU
Music Icon of the Year: LE SSERAFIM
Album of the Year: Stray Kids - "KARMA"
Song of the Year: IVE - "REBEL HEART"
Stage of the Year: ATEEZ
Performance of the Year: RIIZE
Best Actress of the Year (TV): Lim Yoon-ah or YoonA
Best Actor of the Year (TV): Lee Jun-ho
Actress of the Year: Moon So-ri
Best Actress of the Year (OTT): IU, Kim You-jung
Best Actor of the Year (OTT): Park Bo-gum, Lee Jun-hyuk
MUSIC AWARDS
Best K-pop Record: Stray Kids, IVE, ATEEZ
Best Music Video: MEOVV - "Hands Up"
Best OST: "Golden" from KPop Demon Hunters
Best Performance: KiiiKiii, CORTIS
Best Band: QWER
Best Voice Performance: Arden Cho for KPop Demon Hunters
Best Producer: 3RACHA (Stray Kids)
Rookie of the Year: CORTIS
ACTING AWARDS
Best Couple: Park Bo-gum & IU (When Life Gives You Tangerines)
AAA Scene Stealer: Choi Dae-hoon
AAA AWARDS (MULTIPLE CATEGORIES)
AAA Fabulous: Lee Jun-ho, IU, Jang Won-young
AAA Asia Celebrity: Park Bo-gum (Actor), Jang Won-young (Singer)
AAA Spotlight: Jang Won-young, Stray Kids' Felix
Asia Star: JJ Lin (Singer), YoonA (Actress), Satoh Takeru (Actor)
AAA Best Choice: Lee Yi-kyung (Actor), Stray Kids' Hyunjin (Singer), ATEEZ's Hongjoong (Singer), (G)I-DLE's Shuhua (Singer), LE SSERAFIM's Kim Chaewon (Singer)
AAA Emotive: Kang You-seok (Actor), RIIZE (Singer)
AAA Icon: Choo Young-woo (Actor), CRAVITY (Singer)
AAA New Wave: ATEEZ's Yunho (Actor), ALLDAY PROJECT (Singer)
AAA Potential: xikers
AAA 10 Legendary Solo: IU (Female), G-Dragon (Male)
Hot Trend Award: IU
POPULARITY AWARDS (FAN VOTED)
Male Actor: Lee Jun-ho
Female Actor: Kim Hye-yoon
Male Solo: Lim Young-woong
Male Group: Stray Kids
Female Group: NiziU
IU Took Home Multiple Trophies
IU stood as the night’s most decorated artist, taking home six awards across both acting and music at the 10th Asia Artist Awards. Her haul included the highly prestigious Artist of the Year (Actor Daesang), alongside honors such as Best Actress (OTT), Best Couple, and AAA 10 Legendary Solo. The superstar’s dominance reflected a year of rare dual success onstage and on screen, as her world tour drew half a million fans and When Life Gives You Tangerines emerged as a cultural touchstone.
Later, in a moment of quiet reflection, she admitted the night felt less like a ceremony and more like a long-missed festival. “I kept thinking how many more times I’ll get to come back,” she reflected, a mix of gratitude and resolve in her voice, “and that I want to keep doing good work so I can stand here again.”
Stray Kids Dominate Music Categories
Boy group Stray Kids rose to the top on Saturday night, seizing the coveted Artist of the Year (Daesang) and clinching Album of the Year for KARMA. This sweep left little doubt about their leading position in the industry.
With eight trophies in total, including honors for Best K-pop Record and Best Producer through their unit 3RACHA, the group delivered a commanding performance. Once positioned as challengers at the edge of the scene, they now occupy the very center of K-pop’s current landscape.
As they accepted their well-deserved honors, the members spoke with visible sincerity to StarNews, “The first time we ever received a Daesang was here," they shared, their voices carrying both disbelief and gratitude. “To stand here again and receive such a big award means a lot to us, especially because we make our own music.”
Turning directly to their fans, they added a quiet but firm promise: “Thank you, STAY, for making our music shine. We’ll keep running, we’ll keep working hard, and we’ll keep pouring our passion into everything we do.”
Read: From K-Pop to Metal: What Your Spotify Wrapped Says About Where You Should Travel in 2026
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