Group TWUDE (Seohee, Seoyeon, Elena, Jia, Saki, Sea, and Ihanui) proved their upward momentum by winning their first rookie award trophy just about two and a half months after their debut.

TWUDE received the honor of winning in the 'IS Rising Star' category at the 3rd Korea Grand Music Awards (2026 KGMA), held on the 7th at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul.

In their acceptance speech, TWUDE said, "We are happy and overwhelmed to receive such a meaningful new artist award at our first awards ceremony," adding, "We thank all the fans who have been with us from the beginning and cheered us on." They also shared their aspirations, saying, "We will do our best to become a team that brings new joy through great performances and music, so please look forward to it."

On stage that day, TWUDE performed 'SUN KISS,' the title track of their first mini album [TUNE & PLAY], and the B-side track 'GRLS,' showcasing rookie boldness and stable live vocal skills.

Debuting on August 24, TWUDE entered the all-time 'Top 10' of K-pop girl group debut albums in first-week sales of their first mini album, while their title track ranked No. 1 on Apple Music for 18 consecutive days. In addition, they achieved No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 'Emerging Artists' chart and were named September's 'K-Pop Rookie of the Month,' making waves both at home and abroad.

Meanwhile, the press photo source is ABD (HYBE).