K Top Star and Stardom at the same time…Top 10 finalists for each K-pop group, individual, actor, and trot category are confirmed
The top 10 (team) in each category that passed the preliminary round, and the final match of the finals will begin at 11 a.m. on the 9th (Wednesday) with the recommendation of candidates for the Ministerial Award
The preliminary round I of the national recommendation vote, which was held amid the public’s keen interest in the “2026 Korea Social Contribution Awards,” ended the long journey.
The preliminary round I of the 2026 21st Korea Social Contribution Awards hosted by the Korea Social Contribution Foundation and the International Cooperation and Development Association officially closed at 3 p.m. on September 7.
As a result of the final tally, the K-pop group category was honored as the first place in each category after fierce competition, with Lee Know in the K-pop individual category, Byun Woo-seok in the actor category, and Kim Yong-bin in the trot category.
The preliminary round for the national recommendation vote was held simultaneously through the global fandom platforms “K Top Star” and “STARDOM” from 11 a.m. on September 2 to 3 p.m. on September 7. A total of four candidates, including K-pop groups, K-pop individuals, actors, and trot, were voted enthusiastically, and the top 10 players (teams) in each category were finally confirmed as finalists by adding up the number of votes from the two platforms.
In particular, on the day of the deadline, global fandom’s participation in the last-minute vote to secure tickets to the finals was concentrated, and until just before the deadline, there was a competition in which the rankings were up and down.
사진 확대 Photo = K Top Star, Stardom
■ K-POP Group Division:
Playve’s final 1st place…Boy Next Door and Super Junior made it to the top 10 with last-minute spurt
In the K-POP group category, Playve, which is opening a new horizon for virtual artists, won the final first place with unwavering firepower. Stray Kids then ranked second and Tours (TWS) ranked third, showing off the presence of strong music powerhouses. In addition, ATEEZ, Zero Base One, Boy Next Door, Rise, Tomorrow X Together, Lisanne and Super Junior were named in the top 10 in order to qualify for the final round.
In particular, about an hour before the deadline, fans’ last-minute spurt votes surged toward Boy Nextdoor and Super Junior, which were under the chin of the final round, and succeeded in entering the top 10 dramatically.
Final Qualifying Rankings:
▲1st place play ▲2nd place Stray Kids ▲3rd place Tours ▲4th place ATEEZ ▲5th place Zero Base One ▲6th place Boy Next Door ▲7th place Rise ▲8th place TOMORROW X TOGETHER ▲9th place Lysanne ▲10th place Super Junior
사진 확대 Photo = K Top Star, Stardom
■ K-POP Individuals:
Two hours before the deadline, the ‘two-vote difference’ super battle…LEE KNOW, no.1 in blood-drying competition
The hottest and fiercest battle for first place in this preliminary round was by far the K-pop individual category. After a close race, Stray Kids’ Lee Know took the final first place, followed closely by ENHYPEN’s Sung-hoon and Sunwoo in second and third, respectively.
In fact, as of 1 p.m., two hours before the deadline, the gap between No. 1 Lee Know and No. 2 Sung-hoon was only two votes, showing a historic super-contact. Just before the deadline, the fandom of both sides continued to attack, and as a result of the final tally, Lee Know, who was ahead of the final firepower, finally secured the throne and finished the preliminary round.
Final Qualifying Rankings:
▲1st place LEE KNOW ▲2nd place SUNGHOON ▲3rd place SUNWOO ▲4th place FELIX ▲5th place Strongest Changmin ▲6th place Youngjae ▲7th place IU ▲8th place SHOTARO ▲9th place JUNGWON ▲10th place Stella
사진 확대 Photo = K Top Star, Stardom
■ Actor category:
Byeon Woo-seok’s solo performance is the highlight of the battle for third place…Lee Jun-ho defeated Ko Yoon-jung to reach the 3rd place
In the actor category, Byun Woo-seok, who has established himself as a global trend, firmly maintained his final No. 1 position with an overwhelming margin of votes. Park Jin-young, who is active as an actor and singer, then came in second with a stable vote.
The highlight of the actor category was the battle for third place ahead of the finals. After a breathtaking contest just before the closing shot, Lee Joon-ho beat Ko Yoon-jung by just 45 votes to finish third. Not only the top ranks, but also the competition around the top 10 to win tickets to the final round intensified until the last minute, adding to the tension.
Final Qualifying Rankings:
▲1st place Byun Woo-seok ▲2nd place Park Jin-young ▲3rd place Lee Jun-ho ▲4th place Go Yoon-jung ▲5th place Hyeri ▲6th place Park Bo-gum ▲7th place Jung Hae-in ▲8th place Lee Je-hoon ▲9th place Lee Dong-wook ▲10th place Suzy
사진 확대 Photo = K Top Star, Stardom
■ The trot category:
Kim Yongbin’s unrivaled first place run…Son Tae-jin and Park Seo-jin are in second place with a difference of 50 votes, “Sweat match.”
In the trot category, the orderly and explosive participation of the fandom stood out as a traditional powerhouse who leads the donation and preceding culture of the popular culture world. Kim Yong-bin widened the gap with the second-place group and ended the lead with an unrivaled number of votes, more than three times that of second-place Son Tae-jin, proving once again that he is the strongest in the preliminary round.
On the other hand, the competition for second place Mercury was brutal. With Son Tae-jin in second place and Park Seo-jin in third place, the final gap between the two candidates is only 50 votes apart, so the last-minute concentration of the trot fandom served as a decisive variable in the ranking.
Final Qualifying Rankings:
▲1st place Kim Yong-bin ▲2nd place Son Tae-jin ▲3rd place Park Seo-jin ▲4th place Jang Han-byul ▲5th place Jeon Yoo-jin ▲6th place Lee Chan-won ▲7th place Kim Da-hyun ▲8th place Kim Eui-young ▲9th place Sung-ri ▲10th place Jang Min-ho
■ The real game that will continue in the finals…The final round opens at 11 a.m. on the 9th (Wednesday)
Thanks to the voluntary and active participation of the fandom, which continued until the deadline, the detailed rankings swirled in real time, raising expectations for the upcoming finals. In addition to the dramatic race for first place in the K-pop individual category, the ultra-fine margin race in the actor category, the close match in the trot category, and the dramatic entry into the top 10 chin-up in the K-pop group category.
The top 10 (team) in each category who survived through the high barrier of Qualifier I will play a real match to determine the throne in the final round of the finals that will be held immediately.
The final round of the finals will be held from 11 a.m. on September 9 to 3 p.m. on September 14, and the same as the preliminary round will be held simultaneously in a combined voting method on the two platforms of K-Top Star and Stardom. The final result, which will be determined through this final round, will be directly reflected in the process of screening candidates for the 2026 Korea Social Contribution Awards, which encourages artists who have announced the status of Korean culture to the world.
[MK Sports Reporter Hong Donghee]