Melon Music Awards 2026 Reveals Category Nominees and TOP10 Winners

Melon Music Awards 2026 has announced the nominees for its fan-voted category awards, while also confirming this year’s TOP10 winners.

The TOP10 acts—AKMU, BTS, CORTIS, Hearts2Hearts, I.O.I, ILLIT, IVE, KiiiKiii, NCT WISH and PLAVE—automatically become the nominees for Artist of the Year.

Major album and song contenders include aespa, AKMU, BTS, CORTIS, I.O.I, ILLIT, IVE, KiiiKiii and Yena. aespa’s LEMONADE is nominated in both Album of the Year and Song of the Year.

The Global TOP10 shortlist features major names familiar to European K-pop fans, including BLACKPINK, BTS, ENHYPEN, IVE, LE SSERAFIM, NewJeans, SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, TWICE and TXT, alongside artists such as aespa, BABYMONSTER, Jennie and Rosé.

Fans can also vote in categories including New Artist, Best Solo, Best Group, Best OST, Best Pop Artist and TrackZero Choice. Eligibility covers music released from November 20, 2025 to October 14, 2026.

Most main categories combine digital performance, expert-panel evaluation and fan voting, while several honours—including Record of the Year and Global-K of the Year—will be selected entirely by the panel.

The ceremony is scheduled for November 14 and 15, 2026, at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul.