The race for one of K-pop’s most prestigious nights is officially heating up. The second round of voting for the 35th Seoul Music Awards has now begun, giving fans worldwide another chance to push their favorite artists toward victory.
Following a highly competitive first round that ran from March 20 to April 9, the next phase of fan voting is open from April 10 to April 30, with daily voting available between 10:00 AM and 11:59 PM (KST) through the official Seoul Music Awards website.
First Round Leaders Set the Tone
The first round delivered intense competition across all major categories. Rising group ONF claimed the top spot in the Main Awards (Bonsang) voting, followed closely by global icon G-Dragon in second and powerhouse group Stray Kids in third.
In the Popularity Award, Lee Chan-won dominated the rankings, ahead of BTS and Lim Young-woong.
Meanwhile, BTS also secured first place in the Hallyu Special Award, with G-Dragon and Sodiex following behind.
Other notable first-round leaders included:
- EXO in the K-POP WORLD CHOICE (Group) category
- Baekhyun in the Solo category
-
AlphaDrive1 in the Rookie Award
[#서울가요대상]
— 아이돌챔프 (@idolchamp1) April 8, 2026
𝙎𝙚𝙤𝙪𝙡 𝙈𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙘 𝘼𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙨
𝘾𝙪𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙍𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜
투표 종료 🔥D-1🔥
서가대 오늘의 순위를 확인하세요🔍
→ https://t.co/Cy5Li6Ogvf
🏆본상 (The Best Award)
1️⃣ #온앤오프 #ONF
2️⃣ #스트레이키즈 #StrayKids
3️⃣ #지드래곤 #GDRAGON
🏆인기상 (Popularity)… pic.twitter.com/j4xghdL8Ef
Current Second Round Standings (So Far)
As the second round kicks off, early voting trends are already emerging:
Main Awards (Bonsang)
- ONF
- G-Dragon
- Stray Kids
Popularity Award
- Lee Chan-won
- Lim Young-woong
- Monsta X
Korea Wave (Hallyu) Award
- G-Dragon
- BTS
- ASTRO
How Voting Works
The Seoul Music Awards combines multiple metrics to determine winners, depending on the category:
-
Main Awards (Bonsang), Rookie Awards, Genre Awards
→ 40% judges + 30% sales + 30% fan votes -
Popularity Award, Hallyu Special Award, New Icon Award
→ 100% fan votes
This structure means that fan participation is absolutely निर्ण critical, especially in fan-driven categories where votes alone determine the winner.
What Fans Can Vote For
Fans can actively participate in several major categories, including:
- Main Awards (Bonsang)
- Rookie of the Year
- Genre Awards (such as R&B/Hip-hop, OST, Trot, Ballad)
- Popularity Award
- Hallyu Special Award
- New Icon Award
- K-POP WORLD CHOICE (Group & Solo)
Voting is conducted exclusively through the official Seoul Music Awards website, making it accessible for global fans eager to support their favorite idols.
Big Names Expected at the Ceremony
With the ceremony set for June 20 at Inspire Arena in Incheon, anticipation is already building around potential appearances. Industry insiders and fans alike are speculating that G-Dragon and Stray Kids—both dominating key categories—have a high chance of attending, which would make this year’s event even more historic.
The Road to the Finale
After the second round concludes on April 30, a final round of voting will take place from May 8 to May 28, ultimately deciding the winners across all categories.
With top-tier artists, passionate fandoms, and razor-thin margins separating first and second place, the 35th Seoul Music Awards is shaping up to be one of the most competitive—and globally watched—editions yet.
For fans, the message is clear: every vote counts.