Nogizaka46 has twice won the Grand Prix at the annual Japan Record Awards, with consecutive wins for "Influencer" in 2017 and "Synchronicity" in 2018.

Producer Yasushi Akimoto said that the number "46" was chosen as a direct challenge to AKB48, implying that Nogizaka46 would succeed with fewer members.

[5] In contrast to AKB48 and its sister groups, the image of Nogizaka46 is based on the Japanese people's perception of conservatively-dressed private all-girls high school students in France, which carries the connotations of elegance and refinement.

[11] Their second single, "Oide Shampoo", was released on May 2 of the same year, and became their first number one song on the Oricon weekly chart, with sales of 156,000 copies.

[12] The choreography for "Oide Shampoo" caused a brief controversy, as critics disapproved of the members lifting their skirts over their faces during one part of the performance.

[13] In June 2012, Nogizaka46 took part in Yubi Matsuri, an idol festival produced by Rino Sashihara, performing before 8,000 people at Nippon Budokan.

[24] During the show, the group announced that their musical 16 nin no Principal trois would open at Akasaka ACT Theater on May 30 and run until June 15.

[30] The following month, the group held their third birthday concert, this time in front of 38,000 people at Seibu Dome in Saitama.

[37] In the week following the performance, the group's twelfth single "Taiyō Nokku" was selected for the 30th Japan Gold Disc Award.

[50] The first day of the concert was the final performance of group member Nanami Hashimoto, who retired from the entertainment industry.

[51] In May 2017, the group debuted a new theater production based on the manga series Asahinagu, performing in Tokyo, Osaka and Aichi.

[53] Nogizaka46's first feature film, a live-action adaptation of the manga Asahinagu starring Nanase Nishino in the lead role, opened in cinemas across Japan in September 2017.

[58] The group ended the year by winning the grand prize at the 59th Japan Record Awards for their seventeenth single, titled "Influencer",[59] and by making their third consecutive appearance on NHK's Kōhaku Uta Gassen.

[68] The final day of the 7th Birthday Live in February 2019 was a graduation concert for first generation member Nanase Nishino, who had centered or co-centered seven singles.

[75] To celebrate 10th anniversary of the group, Nogizaka46 released the greatest hits album on December 15, 2021,[76] titled Time Flies,.

[79] Their twenty-ninth single "Actually..." was released on March 23,[80] with fifth generation member Aruno Nakanishi serving as the center (lead performer).

[79] However, due to having her past indiscretions exposed after the single's announcement, Nakanishi was put on hiatus as of March 3[81] and the center position was jointly taken over by Asuka Saitō and Mizuki Yamashita.

[82][83] Two of the three remaining fifth generation members were revealed on March 19 and April 1, while the last one, Hina Okamoto, was also put on hiatus for a contract breach.

At the first Birthday Live concert at Makuhari Messe, the group performed all of the songs from their first four singles to an audience of 9,000 people.

[130] Nogizaka46 has also held a national summer concert tour each year at venues across Japan, concluding with a show in Tokyo.