The winners of "The 26th Japan Gold Disc Awards" have been announced!

The 'Japan Golden Disc Awards' are headed by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). The RIAJ initiated this annual event in 1987 to recognize outstanding artists and works that have contributed to the recording industry. Awards are based on actual sales number, and the winners for this year were chosen from data compiled from November 1st, 2010 to October 31st, 2011.

Additionally, the awards established a new 'Asian' sub-division for several categories this year. Prior to this year, the 'Japan Gold Disc Awards' only had 'Japanese' and 'International' within its categories.

This year's winners for the "Artist of The Year" awards (considered to be the 'grand prize' from the Japan Gold Disc Awards) went to AKB48 (Japanese category), and Lady Gaga (Western category).

Check out the winners from all the categories below!

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<The 26th Japan Gold Disc Awards>

- ARTIST OF THE YEAR
� Japanese - AKB48
� Western - Lady Gaga

- BEST ASIAN ARTIST
� KARA

- BEST ENKA/KAYOKYOKU ARTIST
� Hikawa Kiyoshi

- �NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
� Japanese - Kis-My-Ft2
� Western - LMFAO
� Asian - 2PM

- BEST 5 NEW ARTISTS (Japanese)
� Ayaman JAPAN
� NMB48
� Kaoru to Tomoki, Tamani Mook
� Kis-My-Ft2
� back number

- BEST 3 NEW ARTISTS (Western)
� LMFAO
� Nicki Minaj
� Bruno Mars

- BEST 3 NEW ARTISTS (Asian)
� Jang Geun Suk
� 2PM
� B2ST (BEAST)

- BEST ENKA/KAYOKYOKU NEW ARTIST
� Park Hyun Bin

- ALBUM OF THE YEAR
� Japanese - "Ikimonobakari ~Members' BEST Selection~" : Ikimonogakari
� Western - "Born This Way" : Lady Gaga
� Asian - "GIRLS' GENERATION" : Shoujo Jidai

- BEST 5 ALBUMS (Japanese)
� "Beautiful World" : Arashi
� "Ikimonobakari ~Members' BEST Selection~" : Ikimonogakari
� "Koko ni Ita koto" : AKB48
� "Nagai no Tou" : EXILE
� "SENSE" : Mr. Children

- BEST 3 ALBUMS (Western)
� "Goodbye Lullaby" : Avril Lavigne
� "GREATEST HITS" : Bon Jovi
� "Born This Way" : Lady Gaga

- BEST 3 ALBUMS (Asian)
� "Girl's Talk" : KARA
� "GIRLS' GENERATION" : Shoujo Jidai
� "TONE" : Tohoshinki

- CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE YEAR
� "Kamisama no Karute ~Tsujii Nobuyuki Jisakushu" : Tsujii Nobuyuki

- JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR
� "Norah Jones no Jiyuu Jikan" : Norah Jones

- INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR
� "THe BEST OF TARO HAKASE" : Hakase Taro

- SOUND TRACK ALBUM OF THE YEAR
� "BURLESQUE"

- ANIMATION ALBUM OF THE YEAR
� "Gintama BEST2"

- TRADITIONAL JAPANESE MUSIC OF THE YEAR
� "Dai 47 Kai Columbia Zenkoku Ginei Concours Kadaigin Odamaki" : Nippon Columbia Ginei Ongakukai

- CONCEPT ALBUM OF THE YEAR
� "Love Songs" : Che'Nelle

- SINGLE OF THE YEAR
� "Everyday, Kachuusha" : AKB48

- BEST 5 SINGLES
� "Everyday, Kachuusha" : AKB48
� "Kaze wa Fuiteiru" : AKB48
� "Sakura no Ki ni Narou" : AKB48
� "Chance no Junban" : AKB48
��"Flying Get" : AKB48

- SONG OF THE YEAR BY DOWNLOAD
� Japanese - "Ryuusei" : Kobukuro
� Western - "Born This Way" : Lady Gaga
��Asian - "Jumping" : KARA

- BEST 5 SONGS BY DOWNLOAD
� "Everyday, Kachuusha" : AKB48
� "Maru-Maru-Mori-Mori!" : Kaoru to Tomoki Tamani Mook
� "Jumping" : KARA
� "Ryuusei" : Kobukuro
� "Kono Yoru wo Tometeyo" : JUJU

- BEST MUSIC VIDEOS
� Japanese - "ARASHI 10-11 TOUR 'Scene' ~Kimi to Boku no Miteiru Fuukei~ STADIUM" : Arashi
� Japanese - "ARASHI 10-11 TOUR 'Scene' ~Kimi to Boku no Miteiru Fuukei~ DOME+" : Arashi
� Japanese - "AKB ga Ippai ~The Best Music Video~" : AKB48
� Western - "Michael Jackson's VISION" : Michael Jackson
� Asian - "BEST CLIPS" : KARA

- SPECIAL AWARD
� "SONGS FOR JAPAN" : Various Artists

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Source: THE JAPAN GOLD DISC AWARD 2012