Japan’s annual year-end institution, the NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen, returns for its 77th edition this year. Mana Ashida, Masato Sakai, Kazunari Ninomiya, and NHK announcer Naoko Suzuki were previously announced as the show’s hosts.
The Red and White Team lineups were officially revealed on November 13, with 42 acts set to perform. Two Red Team acts and five White Team acts will make their Kohaku debuts, bringing the total number of first-timers to seven. The roster also features several major artists returning after years away from the show.
This year’s first-time performers include idol group =LOVE, now celebrating its ninth anniversary; eight-member girl group CUTIE STREET, whose track "Kawaii Dake ja Dame Desu ka?" has become a long-running hit; and Ayumu Imazu, whose music has won over listeners as a modern wedding anthem for the Reiwa era.
Also making their Kohaku debuts are Aぇ! group, the idol group formed by former Kansai Junior members that debuted in 2024; Stardust Promotion’s young male artist collective EBiDAN, whose "Yes! Tokyo" became a million-selling release this year; and rising four-piece band Macaroni Empitsu. Rounding out the newcomers is MONAKI, a fast-rising four-member kayō group that debuted as Junretsu’s junior act.
Several performers are also returning to Kohaku after lengthy absences. TM NETWORK will make its second appearance and first in 38 years, while Takanori Nishikawa, better known as T.M.Revolution, returns after 12 years as he celebrates his 30th anniversary.
Ado is another highly anticipated Red Team pick, making her second Kohaku appearance. She last joined the show at the end of 2023, delivering a memorable performance from Higashi Hongan-ji in Kyoto.
A special segment will also feature B'z vocalist Koshi Inaba, marking his first solo appearance on Kohaku. He is scheduled to perform "Touch," originally released by Yoshimi Iwasaki in 1985 as the theme song for the anime Touch. Inaba covered the track this year in support of the 2026 World Baseball Classic, drawing a major response from listeners.
With breakout acts making their first appearances and veteran performers returning after years away, this year’s Kohaku is already shaping up to be a packed show. More special segments are likely still to come, so watch for further announcements from NHK.
The complete lineup is below, with the numbers indicating each artist’s total appearances:
