The Melon Music Awards is about to do something it has never done in 18 editions: run for two nights instead of one. On September 16, 2026, Melon and Kakao Entertainment named the first five acts on the bill.
What Did Melon Just Confirm About MMA2026?
Melon and Kakao Entertainment confirmed the first artist lineup for the 18th Melon Music Awards on September 16, 2026, naming five boy groups: PLAVE, RIIZE, NCT WISH, ALPHA DRIVE ONE and LNGSHOT . The ceremony runs November 14 and 15, 2026 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, western Seoul — the first two-day "2-SHOW" format in the awards' 18-year history . Melon first announced the expanded format in June 2026, tying it to the new Global-K Chart and framing the two-day show as one built together with K-pop fans worldwide rather than a Korea-only event .
Quick Answer: MMA2026, the 18th Melon Music Awards, runs across two days for the first time — November 14–15, 2026 at Gocheok Sky Dome, Seoul. The first confirmed lineup, announced September 16, is PLAVE, RIIZE, NCT WISH, ALPHA DRIVE ONE and LNGSHOT, with more performers to follow.
This year's organizing keyword is "Connect," carried by the main slogan "K-POP CONNECT: The New Pulse," which Kakao Entertainment describes as capturing "the moment when K-pop fans worldwide gather and unite beyond time and space" . KakaoBank returns as title sponsor .
Treat this as a first wave rather than the full bill. Melon has said additional performers and further award category details will be announced later, and the September 16 release covers only these five acts . One caution for anyone searching now: pages listing a December 20 date or a Jennie and G-Dragon lineup are describing MMA 2025, the previous ceremony, not this year's two-night event .
Why These Five Acts Made the First Lineup
Melon selected PLAVE, RIIZE, NCT WISH, ALPHA DRIVE ONE and LNGSHOT on the strength of their 2026 performance on its own streaming and album charts . Each of the five either topped Melon's Hot100 this year or cleared a million-unit sales mark, and the group covers three distinct categories at once: a virtual act, an established million-seller, and two January 2026 rookies .
PLAVE released the mini-album Caligo Pt.2 in April 2026; title track "Born Savage" reached No. 1 on Melon's Hot100 and No. 2 on the TOP100, and all five album tracks charted on the TOP100 at the same time . Korean coverage also notes PLAVE's Incheon shows this September marked the group's own first-ever stadium concert, part of its debut world tour .
RIIZE marked its third debut anniversary in September 2026. The June EP II became the group's fourth consecutive million-seller, every track including "Do Your Dance" entered Melon's TOP100, and RIIZE topped the Global-K Chart, the integrated Korea–China–Japan K-pop index . NCT WISH's first full-length album Ode to Love, released in April 2026, hit No. 1 on the Hot100 and No. 3 on the TOP100 — the group's highest Melon placements to date — and sold more than 1.82 million copies in its first week .
The two rookie slots go to acts that debuted within weeks of each other. ALPHA DRIVE ONE opened 2026 with the EP Euphoria; lead track "Freak Alarm" reached No. 1 on the Hot100, every track entered the TOP100, and the album passed 1 million Melon streams in 14 hours and 20 minutes . LNGSHOT, the first boy group from Jay Park's label More Vision, debuted in January 2026 with "Shot Callers," which peaked at No. 12 on the Hot100 .
| Act | 2026 release | Melon result |
|---|---|---|
| PLAVE | Caligo Pt.2 (April 2026) | "Born Savage" No. 1 Hot100 / No. 2 TOP100; all 5 tracks on TOP100 |
| RIIZE | EP II (June 2026) | 4th consecutive million-seller; No. 1 on Global-K Chart |
| NCT WISH | Ode to Love (April 2026) | No. 1 Hot100 / No. 3 TOP100; 1.82M first-week sales |
| ALPHA DRIVE ONE | Euphoria (January 2026) | "Freak Alarm" No. 1 Hot100; 1M streams in 14h 20m |
| LNGSHOT | "Shot Callers" (January 2026) | No. 12 Hot100 |
There is one detail worth noting for fans tracking attendance records: all five acts appeared at the previous ceremony, but ALPHA DRIVE ONE and LNGSHOT performed at the December 2025 edition before either group had officially debuted . MMA2026 in November will therefore be their first appearance as active, debuted artists — a distinction that matters if rookie-category voting factors into this year's results. Coverage of the lineup reveal ran the same day through Soompi and Forbes.
Why the Two-Day Format and a New Award Category Matter
The two-day expansion is a structural change, not a scheduling accident: Melon first announced the "2-SHOW" format in June 2026, tying it explicitly to the new Global-K Chart and framing the expansion as building the ceremony together with K-pop fans worldwide rather than a Korea-only broadcast . MMA2026 runs November 14 and 15 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, western Seoul — the first split across two nights in the awards' 18-year history . For fans planning a trip, that means two separate show nights to account for rather than one.
The second change is to the trophy list. On August 13, 2026, Kakao Entertainment announced a new main award (본상) tier called "Global TOP10," tied to the Global-K Chart . Reporting indicates the legacy "Millions TOP10" category — which rewarded domestic sales and streaming volume — has been discontinued in favour of this globally weighted replacement .
The Global-K Chart is what makes that substitution meaningful. Launched in June 2026, it pools K-pop consumption data from Melon in Korea, Tencent Music in China and LINE Music in Japan — the first time the three regional platform leaders combined their K-pop metrics into one ranking . It is also the chart RIIZE topped in 2026, which is part of why the group's numbers read differently this year than a Melon-only tally would suggest .
The selection method is published in advance. Thirty candidate acts are shortlisted by cumulative Global-K Chart score, then narrowed to ten winners using a weighted formula:
- 60% chart score — cumulative Global-K Chart performance across Melon, Tencent Music and LINE Music
- 20% jury evaluation — professional panel scoring
- 20% fan voting — domestic votes cast through Melon, international votes through the global fan platform Berriz
Routing overseas votes through Berriz rather than a Korea-only client is the practical half of the "K-POP CONNECT: The New Pulse" slogan Kakao Entertainment attached to this year's show . A fan outside Korea can now contribute to a daesang-tier outcome without a domestic account — a meaningful shift for a ceremony whose scoring has historically leaned on Melon's Korean user base.
Tickets, Voting and What's Still Unconfirmed
The logistics are the part Melon has not finished writing. As of the September 16, 2026 lineup announcement, no official ticket on-sale date and no broadcast or streaming partner had been published for MMA2026 . What is fixed is the frame around them: two shows on November 14 and 15, 2026 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, western Seoul, with KakaoBank as title sponsor . Everything else in the fan-facing pipeline is still pending confirmation.
Based on how the ceremony has run previously, tickets are expected to be sold through Melon Ticket at ticket.melon.com, with fan voting hosted on the MMA2026 official page on Melon for domestic users and on Berriz for international fans . Treat both as the expected channels rather than announced ones until Melon posts a schedule.
Melon has said further performers and additional category updates will follow this first wave of five groups . One practical warning while you wait: search results citing a December 20 ceremony date, or a lineup built around Jennie and G-Dragon, describe MMA 2025 — the previous edition — not this one .
The concrete takeaway for anyone planning a trip: hold November 14–15 and the Gocheok Sky Dome location as confirmed, and watch Melon Ticket and the MMA2026 page on Melon for the on-sale drop, since that is the only detail standing between a confirmed lineup and a seat.
Frequently asked questions
When and where is MMA2026?
The 18th Melon Music Awards takes place on November 14 and 15, 2026 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, western Seoul . It is the first two-day ceremony in the awards' 18-year run, staged under the slogan "K-POP CONNECT: The New Pulse" with KakaoBank as title sponsor .
Who has been confirmed for MMA2026 so far?
Five boy groups were named in the first lineup released on September 16, 2026: PLAVE, RIIZE, NCT WISH, ALPHA DRIVE ONE and LNGSHOT . Melon selected them on 2026 streaming and album chart results — NCT WISH's Ode to Love sold more than 1.82 million copies in its first week, and ALPHA DRIVE ONE's Euphoria passed 1 million Melon streams in 14 hours and 20 minutes . Melon has said additional performers will be announced later.
Why is MMA splitting into two shows this year?
Melon announced the "2-SHOW" format in June 2026, tying it to the new Global-K Chart and framing the expansion as a ceremony built together with K-pop fans worldwide rather than a Korea-only show . The organizer's keyword for the year is "Connect," and the ceremony is being positioned as a gathering point for K-pop fandom worldwide rather than a domestic show with an overseas audience attached .
What is the new Global TOP10 award?
Global TOP10 is a daesang-tier main award (본상) announced on August 13, 2026 and tied to the Global-K Chart, which launched in June 2026 as a joint index pooling K-pop consumption data from Melon in Korea, Tencent Music in China and LINE Music in Japan . Thirty acts are shortlisted by cumulative chart score, then narrowed to ten winners using a weighted formula of 60% chart score, 20% jury evaluation and 20% fan voting . Reporting indicates it replaces the legacy Millions TOP10 category.
How can international fans buy tickets or vote for MMA2026?
No on-sale date has been published as of the September 16, 2026 lineup announcement . Tickets are expected through Melon Ticket, with domestic voting running on Melon and international voting on the global fan platform Berriz, per the Global TOP10 rules . A broadcast or streaming partner has not been confirmed either, so check the Kakao Entertainment newsroom and Melon's official channels for both.
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This article was written using information collected and analyzed by NAMANE's in-house K-pop research AI engine. We use AI technology to bring you faster, broader coverage, and in the process some details may occasionally differ from the latest facts. For important information such as dates, venues, and prices, please double-check with official sources.
