NHK’s annual New Year tradition,Kohaku Uta Gassen, gather’s the year’s best performing artistes. However, it’s not just singers that are participating. As it turns out, a couple of seiyuu are also narrating the show. They are Kana Hanazawa and Yuuki Kaji.

The two will be offering voice-over work for various playback videos during the program. So yes, the narrators are all-star as well!

NHK selected the performers based on their music sales for the year, as well as karaoke sales and official NHK polls. The line-up for this year includes:

Red Team (Women):

  • aiko
  • Ikimono-gakari
  • Sayuri Ichikawa
  • AKB48
  • Midori Oka
  • Keyakizaka46
  • Fuyumi Sakamoto
  • Ringo Shiina
  • Aya Shimazu
  • Superfly 
  • Yoshimi Tendo 
  • TWICE
  • Nogizaka46 
  • Perfume
  • Hinatazaka46
  • Foorin
  • Seiko Matsuda
  • MISIA
  • Kaori Mizumori
  • LiSA
  • Little Glee Monster

White Team (Men):

  • Arashi
  • Hiroshi Itsuki 
  • Official HiGE DANdism
  • KANJANI∞
  • Kis-My-Ft2 
  • King & Prince
  • King Gnu
  • Hiromi Gou
  • GENERATIONS 
  • Junretsu
  • Masaki Suda
  • DA PUMP
  • Kiyoshi Hikawa
  • Masaharu Fukuyama
  • Hey! Say! JUMP
  • Gen Hoshino
  • Daichi Miura
  • Hiroshi Miyama
  • Keisuke Yamauchi
  • YUZU
  • RADWIMPS

For this year’s contest, Haruka Ayase is leading the Red Team, while Arashi member Sho Sakurai is leading the white team. Comedian Teruyoshi Uchimura will be acting as the emcee, while NHK newscaster Mayuko Wakuda will be serving as announcer. This year’s theme is “Let’s Sing Our Dreams,” which the program is using for the four years leading up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

source: Comic Natalie