Kids love K-Pop. That was abundantly clear from the results at the 2026 Kids’ Choice Awards, which aired on CBS for the first time on Saturday (Nov. 14). BTS won three major awards, though they weren’t at Television City in Hollywood for the taping, nor did they accept any of their awards by video, as ROSÉ and “global girl group” KATSEYE did.
BTS won favorite group for a record-extending fifth time; favorite song (“Swim”) for a second time and favorite album (ARIRANG) for the first time. In the favorite song category, BTS had won five years ago for “Dynamite.” The only other group or duo to win twice in the category is One Direction (back-to-back awards in 2013-14 for “What Makes You Beautiful” and “Story of My Life”). (The Kids’ Choice Awards originated in 1987.)
ROSÉ became the first K-Pop star to win favorite female artist. She beat, among others, Ariana Grande, who has won a record five times in this category; Taylor Swift, who has won three times; and Miley Cyrus, who has won twice.
ROSÉ’s Blackpink colleague JENNIE shared the award for favorite music collaboration with Tame Impala for their smash “Dracula.”
KPop Demon Hunters also won multiple awards. “Golden” won favorite song from a movie (beating Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You” from Toy Story 5, among others). The actors who voiced Rumi and Jinu in that movie won for favorite female and male animated voices from a movie, respectively.
Alex Warren was a good-natured host of the fast-paced show, which ran just 90 minutes. In one quick bit, he was costumed like a janitor, mopping up the slime. Only a dozen of the many awards were presented on the show. The producers program the show with the winners who were willing and able to appear. If you watched the show, you would have had no idea that BTS had a big night.
Nor would you have known that Bruno Mars won favorite male artist for the second year in a row; that Sombr won favorite new male artist; or that Olivia Dean‘s “Man I Need” took favorite viral song. “Man I Need” is expected to be a top contender for record and song of the year at the 2027 Grammy Awards.
KATSEYE won favorite female breakout artist/group. Bini, a Filipino girl group, won favorite global music star.
Several music performances brightened the show. Ashe performed her current top 30 Hot 100 hit, “Stop the Wedding!,” wearing a beautiful wedding gown, with her hair perfectly coiffed. No matter: She was doused with slime at the end of the performance like just about everyone else.
Jamie Miller performed “Babydoll,” which has been No. 1 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart for four weeks and is climbing the Hot 100. Sofi Tukker performed “Tsunami.” JYT performed briefly at the end of the opening segment, which focused on dance hits over the decades, stretching back to the 1980s. (The 1970s are now officially ancient history to today’s kids.)
A few other music and music-adjacent stars were enlisted as presenters, including Stella Lefty (who was slimed), Ice Spice and Teyana Taylor. TV veteran Keke Palmer looked around the fancy set and made a knowing comment: “I’ve watched a lot of Kids’ Choice Awards. Y’all have some money this year. I see you, CBS.”
Spider-Man: Brand New Day won favorite movie, and its stars, Tom Holland and Zendaya, won favorite movie actor and actress, respectively.
Howie Mandel accepted America’s Got Talent’s award for favorite TV show reality competition. He got off a funny line, saying his castmates were supposed to be there too, and were supposed to fly to Los Angeles on Friday. He feigned confusion as to why they didn’t make it, saying he even emailed them on Thursday to remind them. Yes, we’ve had a rough week.
Chris Pratt received the King of Comedy Award. He opened his remarks with a funny line. “My four kids were the greatest thing that ever happened to me – until tonight,” eyeing the miniature orange blimp he received. “This is the closest I’ll ever get to an Oscar. When I was a kid, I got in trouble for making kids laugh and now I’m getting an award for it.”
The show was rated PG, which is hard to imagine. If this wasn’t G-rated entertainment I don’t know what is. Yes, there was an ocean of slime, but the messaging was consistently positive, as when Pratt said that jokes can make people laugh, but they can also hurt people and that “kind comedy is the best kind of comedy.”
Here’s a full list of winners from the 2026 Kids’ Choice Awards.
