This year's Kohaku Uta Gassen will see performances by three acts that are well known to the Akihabara crowd: idol group AKB48, "otaku idol" Shoko Nakagawa, and popular gravure idol Leah Dizon. It will be the first Kohaku appearance for all of them.

According to reports, NHK is planning to have them be the "top batter" (opening act) for the Red Team. Each of the three will sing their own songs, then will take the stage together for an anime theme song performance. Negotiations with the relevant management agencies are still under way, but the plan is said to be very likely to happen.