S.Korea’s Golden Disc Awards to make Vietnam debut, target record global online viewership

Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and its partners on Wednesday signed an agreement and announced the 2027-31 Vietnam – Experience More program, which aims to select and support internationally appealing cultural, artistic, sports, and entertainment events to be held in Vietnam.

The 41st Golden Disc Awards will be the first event under the program.

Kim Yooseok, CEO of HLL JoongAng, the company that manages the Golden Disc Awards' rights, said the ceremony had accompanied the development of South Korean popular music and the globalization of K-pop for more than 40 years.

This will be the first time the awards ceremony has been held in Vietnam.

It will bring together prominent South Korean artists, featuring a lively red-carpet event and special performances exclusive to the Golden Disc Awards.

The ceremony will also be broadcast live in South Korea and many other countries, bringing the atmosphere in Hanoi to fans around the world.

Kim said Vietnam was among the countries with the strongest enthusiasm for K-pop. South Korean music, television dramas, and cuisine have become part of everyday life in Vietnam, bringing the two countries' cultures closer than ever.

"The organizers hope this awards ceremony will promote Hanoi as a new hub for Asian music festivals, while creating a starting point for growth and cooperation between the South Korean and Vietnamese entertainment industries," he said.

More than bringing an event to Vietnam

Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Nguyen Huy Dung said Vietnam warmly welcomed international friends and would create the most favorable mechanisms, policies, and environment for them to visit the country.

Vietnam, in turn, would strive to bring its cultural and sporting values, heritage and tourism attractions to audiences around the world, he said.

He added that the 41st Golden Disc Awards was expected to attract 70,000 spectators in person and aimed to break the previous editions' record for global online viewership across digital platforms.

The event also seeks to introduce Hanoi's and Vietnam's signature, high-quality tours to international visitors, while drawing artists, businesses and players in the country's cultural industry and tourism ecosystem.

Pham Nhu Anh, representing the event's Vietnamese organizing team, said this was also the goal of the Vietnam – Experience More program, which went beyond simply bringing an event to Vietnam.

"We hope the appeal of each event will give tourists more reasons to visit Vietnam, stay longer, experience more, spend more and want to return," he said.

Artists appearing at 41st Golden Disc Awards remain under wraps

Established in 1986, the Golden Disc Awards ceremony is one of South Korea's longest-running and most prestigious music awards ceremonies, with considerable influence in the K-pop industry.

After holding previous editions in major Asian cities such as Tokyo, Taipei and Hong Kong, the awards ceremony will be staged in Vietnam for the first time.

Previous editions have featured prominent K-pop artists, including Jennie of BlackPink, Cortis, Stray Kids, IVE, Le Sserafim, NCT Wish and Monsta X, as well as actor Hsu Kuang-han.

The 40th Golden Disc Awards in Taipei drew 290 million views worldwide and nearly 50 million votes. Nearly 80,000 spectators attended the ceremony at Taipei Dome, with international visitors accounting for almost 50 percent of ticket buyers.

Asked about international stars and prominent Vietnamese artists appearing at the 41st edition, Pham Nhu Anh said the lineup was still “a very lovely secret.”

The organizers would gradually announce the names on the event's official Facebook page.