Here's Who's Leading the 35th Seoul Music Awards Vote

The second round of fan voting for the 35th Seoul Music Awards (서울가요대상) has officially closed, and the results have set the stage for what promises to be one of the most competitive final votes in the ceremony's history. Organized by Sports Seoul and the Seoul Music Awards Organizing Committee, the annual awards show has been building momentum since voting kicked off on IDOLCHAMP, the global fan voting platform that serves as the exclusive voting channel for the event.

The Round 2 vote concluded on April 30, drawing participation from K-pop fanbases around the world. Now, with the Final Vote (파이널 투표) set to open on May 8 and run through May 28, the competition enters its most decisive stretch — and the Round 2 standings offer a clear picture of which artists have mobilized the strongest global support heading into the final stretch.

The 35th Seoul Music Awards covers the period from January 2025 to March 2026 based on Circle Chart data, making it a sweeping survey of a year and a half of Korean music activity. Unlike purely industry-decided ceremonies, the Seoul Music Awards uses a hybrid formula — some categories weigh fan voting alongside industry criteria, while others, including the Popularity Award (인기상), Hallyu Special Award (한류특별상), and the K-POP WORLD CHOICE, are determined entirely by fan participation. The ceremony itself is scheduled for June 20 at Incheon Inspire Arena in Yeongjongu, Incheon.

The Main Battle: ONF, Stray Kids, and G-Dragon Fight for Bonsang

In the 본상 (Bonsang, or Main Award) category — the most prestigious prize at the Seoul Music Awards — ONF entered Round 2 as the leader, having also topped the first round of voting. Stray Kids followed in second place, while G-Dragon held the third position and BOYNEXTDOOR took fourth. The Bonsang combines fan voting with other industry and chart criteria, making it one of the more closely watched categories, as fan enthusiasm alone does not guarantee victory.

The 인기상 (Popularity Award), decided entirely by fan votes, has shaped up as a three-way battle between trot singer Lee Chan-won (이찬원), ballad superstar Lim Young-woong (임영웅), and BTS. These three acts represent dramatically different fanbases — trot devotees, ballad enthusiasts, and ARMY — making the Popularity category one of the most cross-genre competitions the Seoul Music Awards has seen in years. The strength of Lee Chan-won's fanbase in particular has consistently surprised observers accustomed to K-pop groups dominating popularity metrics.

The 한류특별상 (Hallyu Special Award), which recognizes global cultural impact, placed BTS in the lead position heading into the final vote, with G-Dragon in second, Astro in third, and So-D-X in fourth. BTS's continued dominance in international-facing categories reflects the group's persistent global reach even as its members have been balancing individual projects alongside resumed group activities throughout 2025 and 2026.

Global Fans Battle: K-POP WORLD CHOICE Results

The K-POP WORLD CHOICE category is entirely driven by international fan participation, and the Round 2 results revealed passionate fandom mobilization on both the group and solo fronts. In the Group division, Super Junior claimed the top spot, followed by EXO in second and the rising group AHOH in third — a result that speaks to the enduring global loyalty of ELF (Super Junior fans) and EXO-L, two of K-pop's most organized international fan communities.

In the Solo division, TXT's Yeonjun (연준) topped the standings heading into the final vote, with EXO's Baekhyun (백현) in second and BTS's Jimin (지민) in third. BTS's V (뷔) placed fourth, and NCT's Mark (마크) rounded out the top five. The Solo standings reflect intense competition among the individual fanbases of both active and recently returned solo artists — a competition that has dominated fan voting discourse on social media throughout the Round 2 period.

Yeonjun's position at the top of the Solo standings is notable given his high-profile solo releases and touring activity over the past year, while Baekhyun and Jimin's placements suggest that their respective fanbases remain among the most organized and mobilized in the global K-pop ecosystem. The gap between the top three positions heading into the Final Vote is understood to be narrow, setting up what could be a genuinely close finish when May 28 arrives.

New for 2026: Golden Revival Award and New Icon Award

This year's edition introduced two new award categories that have generated particular excitement among fans. The 골든리바이벌상 (Golden Revival Award) is designed to celebrate songs that have experienced renewed popularity well after their original release. The Round 2 results placed EXO's classic "첫 눈" (First Snow) in the lead, followed by UZO's "Drowning" and Jung Seung-hwan's "눈사람" (Snowman). The category taps directly into the "song longevity" narrative that has become central to conversations about K-pop's streaming culture — honoring not just new hits but the tracks that fans return to year after year.

The 뉴아이콘상 (New Icon Award) recognizes performers who have risen to breakout status across entertainment — a category positioned at the intersection of K-pop and K-drama popularity. The Round 2 standings have Do Kyung-soo (EXO's D.O.) in the lead, followed by Lee Jun-ho (2PM), Lim Si-wan, Park Jin-young, and Yook Sung-jae. The presence of veteran performers who have reinvented themselves through acclaimed drama roles reflects the increasingly fluid boundary between K-pop and K-drama stardom in the current entertainment landscape.

The full Round 2 results cover a comprehensive sweep of Korean music genres. In the 트로트상 (Trot Award), Lee Chan-won leads ahead of Young-tak, Lim Young-woong, Jung Dong-won, and Park Ji-hyun. The 록/발라드상 (Rock/Ballad Award) features Lee Mu-jin in first, Jung Seung-hwan second, Roy Kim third, and Hwasa fourth. The R&B힙합상 (R&B/Hip-Hop Award) has G-Dragon in first with TREASURE, UZO, and Stray Kids also in strong positions. In the OST category, Zerobaseone's Sung Hanbin's "너란 봄" (You Are My Spring) placed first, Stray Kids Han's "상승기류" second, and ECLIPSE's "소나기" third.

What Comes Next: Final Vote Opens May 8

With Round 2 complete, the Final Vote — the decisive round that will determine the outcome of all fan-weighted categories — opens on May 8 at 10 a.m. KST and closes on May 28 at 11:59 p.m. KST. Voting will be conducted exclusively through the IDOLCHAMP app, which is available for both iOS and Android globally.

Tickets for the June 20 ceremony at Incheon Inspire Arena go on sale May 6 at 2 p.m. KST through NOL Ticket. The Inspire Arena, located in Yeongjongu on Incheon's Yeongjong Island, is one of Korea's largest and most high-profile indoor entertainment venues, making it an appropriate setting for the 35th anniversary edition of one of Korean music's most storied ceremonies.

For fanbases that have been tracking the Round 2 standings carefully, the next four weeks represent the most critical voting window of the entire awards cycle. Whether Yeonjun holds off Baekhyun and Jimin in the Solo division, whether ONF maintains its Bonsang lead against Stray Kids and G-Dragon, and whether Lee Chan-won can consolidate his Trot and Popularity standings — all of it will be determined by what unfolds between May 8 and May 28.

The 35th Seoul Music Awards, marking 35 years as one of Korea's most prestigious music ceremonies, is shaping up to be one of its most competitive editions yet. Fans ready to make their voices heard in the Final Vote can participate through the IDOLCHAMP app starting next Thursday morning KST.