The singers for the 76th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red & White) on New Year’s Eve (7:20 p.m.) were announced on January 14. The list of the contestants for Kohaku was announced on the day of the announcement. Last year, there were 21 groups in both red and white, and 4 groups in the special program. 10 groups were announced as first-time entrants, while 22 groups of singers who participated last year were not on the list this day, a significant turnover. In the red group, 10 groups, including aiko, Sakurazaka 46, Superfly, and Green Yellow Society, which were on the list last year, were not named. In the white group, 12 artists, including Minamoto Hoshino, Keisuke Yamauchi, JO1, and GLAY, were not named. The 10 artists who were not named this time were aiko, Iruka, Sakurazaka46, Sheena Ringo, tuki., Superfly, ME:I, TWICE, Green and Yellow Society, and LE SSERAFIM in the red group. The 12 white groups are Omoinotake, Creepy Nuts, GLAY, Kocchi no Kento, THE ALFEE, JO1, Da-ice, Tomorrow X Together, Kaze Fujii, Gen Hoshino, Kosetsu Minami, and Keisuke Yamauchi. In past years, the Kohaku has selected the contestants based on the following three criteria: (1) the year’s performance, (2) public support, and (3) suitability for the program’s planning and direction. This year’s theme is “Tsunagu, tsunagu, Omisoka. and will be hosted by actress Haruka Ayase, comedian Hiroyuki Ariyoshi, actress Mio Imada, and announcer Nahoko Suzuki of the same station (in alphabetical order).
