aespa (under SM Entertainment) has been nominated for “Best Female K-Pop Artist” at the 2026 American Music Awards (AMAs).
According to the official nominations announced on 14 April (local time), aespa joins a competitive lineup in the K-pop category, further cementing their position as one of the leading global acts shaping the genre today.
Voting is now officially open across all categories via VoteAMAs.com and the @AMAs Instagram channel, giving fans around the world the opportunity to support their favorite artists. Voting will remain open through 8 May 2026 (PT), with select categories extending into the live broadcast.
aespa’s nomination follows a series of major milestones that have defined their global rise. The group was honored as “Group of the Year” at the 2025 Billboard Women in Music, further highlighting their expanding international impact and influence.
Since their debut, aespa has built a distinct musical identity with their signature sound and concept-driven storytelling. Their releases—including the full-length album Armageddon and mini album Whiplash—have delivered consecutive global hits, while tracks such as “Dirty Work” and “Rich Man” have showcased their versatility and continued artistic evolution.
Building on this momentum, aespa has secured major wins across leading music awards in Korea and internationally, including Tencent Music Entertainment Awards (TIMA), Japan Gold Disc Awards, MTV Video Music Awards Japan (VMAJ), and MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN, reinforcing their status as a global K-pop powerhouse.
In addition, aespa recently received global recognition in the design space, winning a Red Dot Design Award 2026 in the product design category for the “Dirty Case Ver.” of their single Dirty Work. Widely regarded as one of the world’s leading design competitions, the award honors the album’s package design for translating the group’s virtual, futuristic identity into a tangible, real-world object—capturing aespa’s narrative through a bold and structured visual language.
