The excitement is rising as the 3rd lineup and 1st presenters (prize winners) for the 1st D Awards, the ‘Festival of Stars’ have been announced.

RIIZE, YOUNGPOSSEE, NCT WISH, and Kick Flip have been named in the 3rd lineup for the 1st D Awards. Cha Seung-won, Ahn Eun-jin, Bae In-hyuk, Kim Ji-eun, and Mimi Minu have been selected for the 1st lineup of presenters who will cheer on the powerful start of the Awards.

‘K-pop top tier’ Rize will be attending the 1st D Awards. Following the release of the digital single ‘Love 119’ last year, RISE triggered the ‘RIIZING syndrome’ with their first mini-album ‘RIIZING’. Through ‘RIIZING’, they not only showcased their limitless musical worldview, but also succeeded in making all the songs on the album into hits. RISE, who have become the ‘present and future of K-pop’ in just their second year since debut, also released a remake version of ‘Hug’ by the same agency‘s legendary group TVXQ on the 8th.

‘Korean hip-hop daughter’ Youngpa will also be performing at the 1st THE AWARDS stage. Having established an identity based on authentic hip-hop with songs like ‘XXL’, ‘ATE THAT’, they also heated up 12 cities in North America with their first American tour, ‘THE HUNGRY TOUR’ last year.

‘Rookie of the Year’NCT WISH has established themselves as the epitome of refreshing charm, the signature weapon of fifth-generation idols, through their all-out performances in the first year of their debut. With every song they release, they cheer on the dreams of fans around the world and achieve their own growth along with them by presenting hopeful music, energetic performances, and refreshing charm. ‘Steady’, released in September last year, surpassed 800,000 pre-orders, setting the highest record for an artist debuting in 2024.

‘JYP Super Rookie’ Kickflip, who opened the door to K-pop in 2025, will debut on the awards ceremony stage through the 1st The Awards. Kickflip, who released their first mini-album on the 20th, quickly rose to the top of daily album charts such as Hanteo Chart and Circle Chart, showing off their power as a super rookie from the start.

‘The Awards’ has also revealed the 1st list of presenters who will light up the awards ceremony along with the 3rd lineup.

Cha Seung-won, who has reigned as a K-content icon with his strong charisma in movies and dramas and his friendly image in entertainment shows, will appear as the presenter for the 1st The Awards. At this awards ceremony, expectations are also high for Cha Seung-won’s signature suit fit as a trendsetter.

Ahn Eun-jin, who has stood tall as a ‘guaranteed viewership ratings check’ in TV, OTT dramas, and now even entertainment shows, is also a point of anticipation for the extraordinary aura she will showcase at the 1st The Awards. She led the Gil Chae-nang-ja syndrome in the drama ‘Lovers’, and her lovely charm in ‘Sister‘s Direct Delivery’, but this is her first time appearing at a K-pop awards ceremony, and her first relationship with ‘The Awards’.

Bae In-hyuk and Kim Ji-eun, the leads of Channel A’s hit drama ‘Check-In Hanyang’, will also be on the 1st The Awards stage. While the ‘fiery chemistry’ between the two is driving skyrocketing viewership ratings, the drama is also being released worldwide through the global OTT Netflix, elevating the value of ‘K-sageuk’.

Educational creator Mimi Minu (Kim Min-woo) was also invited as a presenter for the first THE AWARDS. Mimi Minu has shown his special affection as a K-pop maniac and evangelist, having covered dozens of K-pop songs through various contents.

Ahead of RISE, YOUNGPAC, NCT WISH, and KICKFLIP, THE AWARDS confirmed and announced N.Flying, P1Harmony, ENHYPEN, FIFTYFIFTY, tripleS, ZEROBASEONE, 82MAJOR, QWER, TWS, and UNIS. The first D Awards main hosts will be led by ‘MZ actor leaders’ Go Min-si and Lee Jong-won.

‘The 1st D Awards with Upick’, hosted by Sports Donga and co-hosted by ‘Upick’ and WSM, will be held at 6 PM on February 22nd at the Hwajung Gymnasium of Korea University in Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul.



Reporter Heo Min-nyeong mignon@donga.com

This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.