Global music sensation G-DRAGON has once again cemented his status as a true cultural icon, commanding the popular culture landscape worldwide. He achieved this by securing the top spot in the ‘Power Celebrity 40’ fandom vote, organized by the renowned economic media Forbes Korea.
G-DRAGON clinched first place in the highly anticipated ‘Power Celebrity 40’ fandom vote, conducted by Forbes Korea in collaboration with the global K-POP content platform Mnet Plus. The voting period ran from April 20th to May 10th, witnessing an intense competition among global fandoms with a staggering total of 26.94 million votes cast from 192 countries worldwide, ultimately crowning G-DRAGON as the victor.
Forbes Korea’s ‘Power Celebrity 40’ is more than just a popularity metric; it stands as the most authoritative indicator of the current state of South Korea’s celebrity industry, assessing public influence and brand power. The ranking considers 70 top-searched individuals as candidates and calculates their positions based on a comprehensive analysis of annual income (50%), media mentions (15%), social media influence (15%), and fan votes (20%).
G-DRAGON not only ranked among the top candidates across various comprehensive indicators, including profitability (annual income) and media buzz (media mentions and social media influence) officially recognized by Forbes Korea, but he also proudly secured first place in the critical fan vote category.
Beyond music, G-DRAGON’s influence extends globally. He has been named to Hypebeast’s ‘HB100’ a total of nine times, a testament to his impact in fashion and lifestyle. Furthermore, his academic and cultural sway was highlighted when the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles announced a new regular course dedicated to G-DRAGON. His stature as a national cultural symbol was showcased on the stage of the APEC Summit, and his meeting with French First Lady Brigitte Macron further solidified his prominent presence in the global cultural sphere.
Commenting on his achievement, Forbes Korea stated, “G-DRAGON has consistently transformed his appearances on global stages and at fan meetings into monumental cultural events. The outcome of this fandom vote demonstrates that he is not merely a singer judged by musical performance, but an influential force actively shaping the trends and currents of global popular culture.”
Looking ahead, G-DRAGON is set to grace the finale stage of the grand global music festival ‘K-SPARK in Kaohsiung 2026’ on the 30th. Additionally, as BIGBANG celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, G-DRAGON is preparing for the release of new music and a large-scale world tour slated for August.
