Korea Culture and Entertainment Awards Establishes 5 New Global Fans' Choice Categories

According to media reports, the 34th 2026 Korea Culture and Entertainment Awards has newly established the 'Global Fans' Choice' categories, where global fans directly select the winners. The method involves domestic and international fans voting for artists and works, with final winners selected through several rounds. It will operate in five categories: K-Trot, Best Artist, Spotlight, OST, and Actor, and the official fan voting will be conducted exclusively on the platform STARDOM. The official Korea Culture and Entertainment Awards page also introduces these categories as the official Fans' Choice, where winners are determined by global fan voting.

The first stage, GLOBAL OPEN, begins at 11:00 AM on October 1 and runs until 3:00 PM on October 11. Voting will be held for all candidates to determine the Top 10 for each category, and the preliminary voting is 100% free. Participants can use 'Silver Star', the free voting currency of STARDOM. The SEMI FINAL will be held from 11:00 AM on October 13 to 3:00 PM on October 18, selecting the Top 5 from the Top 10.

The FINAL 5 will take place from 11:00 AM on October 19 to 3:00 PM on October 23, narrowing the Top 5 of each category down to the Top 3. At this stage, congratulatory advertisements in Times Square, New York, United States, will be provided to all candidates who reach the Top 3 in each category. A total of 15 teams across the five categories are expected to be introduced to global fans through these advertisements. The GRAND FINAL 3 will continue from 11:00 AM on October 26 to 3:00 PM on October 30, deciding the final 1st place for each category. Votes are recounted anew whenever a round changes.

The final 1st place winners will be called as the Global Fans' Choice winners and receive awards at the official Korea Culture and Entertainment Awards ceremony held on November 24. The awards ceremony will be held at the Eliena Hotel in Nonhyeon-dong, Seoul. Candidates include K-pop groups and solo artists, as well as trot singers, actors, OST singers, and artists showing new growth. These categories are structured to link the fan voting results to global promotions and the actual awards ceremony.

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