Kakao Entertainment’s music streaming platform, Melon, is set to hold the 18th Melon Music Awards (MMA2026) on Nov. 14-15 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. This marks the first time K-pop’s largest awards ceremony will expand to two days, uniting a more diverse lineup of artists and fans from around the world.
This year, the event will take place under the keyword “Connect,” and the slogan “K-POP CONNECT: The New Pulse.” It aims to define the moment when K-pop fans worldwide gather and unite beyond time and space. Through this, MMA2026 will serve as the starting point of a new musical pulse for artists and fans.
Established in 2005, the MMA is the biggest K-pop awards ceremony and festival, annually honoring the year’s best-performing artists based on objective Melon chart data, user votes, and expert evaluations. Adding to its prestige is a history of legendary stages that artists, fans, and labels all rave about. Iconic examples include BLACKPINK member JENNIE’s artistic, musical-like performances of “Seoul City” and “Like JENNIE” in 2025, BTS’ traditional Korean rendition of “Idol” in 2018, and IU’s soulful, inclusive “Dear Name” stage in 2017. Together, these elements have cemented the MMA as a benchmark event that spearheads global K-pop trends.
Kakao Entertainment, rapidly expanding its business with music IP capabilities and global partnerships, plans to cater to an even wider community of K-pop enthusiasts in 2026 by holding the two-day MMA full of visual and auditory delights. Notably, the company will tie the upcoming MMA to the “Global-K Chart,” which it launched in collaboration with Tencent Music (China) and LINE MUSIC (Japan). This is the first-ever K-pop chart to aggregate both music streaming and fandom activity indices, offering deep insights into K-pop’s global trends and artists’ worldwide influence. MMA2026 will utilize this chart to reflect the global fan response, with specific categories and criteria to be disclosed in due course.
Ahead of MMA2026, Kakao Entertainment will prepare various pre-events, including voting for the TOP10 awards, to keep up the momentum until the festival. As a flagship K-pop event with a notable history, it is set to entertain fans across the globe in all aspects by showcasing groundbreaking stage productions and an incredible lineup of the year’s top artists. More details will soon be available on the official website of MMA2026.
“The MMA is K-pop’s biggest festival, shaped by Melon’s 22-year data and active fan participation,” Kakao Entertainment said. “This year, we will expand to two days and link with the Global-K Chart to create a truly global ceremony built together with fans worldwide.”
Source: Press Release
