NHK has announced the performers for the 77th Kohaku Uta Gassen, Japan’s biggest year-end music broadcast, and seven acts will be making their first appearance. The show airs on December 31 on NHK General TV and other channels.
The lineup totals 42 entries: 20 on the Red Team, 21 on the White Team, and one special-segment act. On the Red Team, the idol groups =LOVE (pronounced “Equal Love”) and CUTIE STREET are debuting on the show. On the White Team, the first-timers are singer Ayumu Imazu, the boy group Aぇ! group (read “Aa! group”), the EBiDAN lineup, the rock band Macaroni Enpitsu (マカロニえんぴつ) and the act Monaki (モナキ). All seven debuting acts attended the announcement press conference held at NHK in Tokyo on November 13.
There are notable comeback stories as well. Singer Yoko Moriyama (森山良子), who will mark her 60th debut anniversary in 2027, returns for the first time in 21 years, since 2005. As a special segment, Koshi Inaba of the rock duo B’z will perform solo on the show for the first time, covering Yoshimi Iwasaki’s classic “Touch.”
The 77th edition carries the theme “Koete Ikou, Uta to Tomoni” (roughly, “Let’s go beyond, together with song”). Hosting duties go to actress Mana Ashida, actor Masato Sakai, Kazunari Ninomiya of Arashi, and NHK announcer Naoko Suzuki.
Returning names on the Red Team include Ado, YOASOBI, ILLIT, AKB48, Nogizaka46, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, MISIA and Sayuri Ishikawa, who is making her 49th appearance. The White Team features King & Prince, SixTONES, Mrs. GREEN APPLE, Sakanaction, BE:FIRST, Masaharu Fukuyama and L’Arc-en-Ciel, among others.
What is Kohaku Uta Gassen?
Kohaku Uta Gassen (NHK Red and White Year-End Song Festival) is NHK’s annual New Year’s Eve music show, in which artists are split into a Red Team and a White Team. Being selected is widely treated in Japan as a mark of a successful year, and first appearances often make headlines.
Who is =LOVE (イコラブ)?
=LOVE, nicknamed “Ikora-bu,” is a Japanese idol group, and its first Kohaku appearance is among the most talked-about debuts this year. It has also been named in recent lineups for other major music broadcasts, including Best Hit Kayosai 2026 and Best Artist 2026, according to Natalie.
Who is Aぇ! group?
Aぇ! group is a boy group in the STARTO ENTERTAINMENT family of acts and is making its first Kohaku appearance this year.
Author’s Comment
Okay, let’s talk about the part nobody puts in the press release: Kohaku is less a music show than a national report card, and this year a whole lot of people just got a gold star. I’ll admit I love watching the debut list, because every first-timer has a fan base that has been quietly yelling about it on social media for years. And yes, one fan was already asking about next year, because in Japan the celebration lasts about four minutes before the next campaign begins. Pour yourself some tea, darling, and get ready for December 31.
