Two nights, for the first time
The 2026 Melon Music Awards will run for two nights.
The 18th edition takes place on Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea. That two night format is new for this event, and it changes how the show will feel.
Kakao Entertainment's music platform Melon runs the awards, with KakaoBank as title sponsor, according to Chosun Biz and MK reports from October 30. The theme, as reported by Vietnam News, is K-POP CONNECT: The New Pulse.
When and how to watch
Voting for the main categories runs until November 13.
That deadline matters if you want your vote to count. After November 13, the main category winners will be decided from a mix of digital performance, judging, and votes already cast.
Broadcast plans, as reported by Vietnam News, cover Melon and Wavve in South Korea, U-NEXT in Japan, TVBS42 and CATCHPLAY+ in Taiwan, and the global K-pop channel 1theK for international viewers. Check your local listing for exact start times.
How winners are picked
For most main categories, the formula is 60 percent digital music performance, 20 percent judging, and 20 percent fan voting.
That split is reported consistently across Allkpop, MK, and TopStar News. It means fan votes matter, but they do not decide the result alone.
The eligibility period covers music released from November 20, 2025 through October 14, 2026, according to TopStar News and the awards criteria summary.
The grand prize race
Seven acts are nominated in all three grand prize categories: Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best Song of the Year.
Those seven are BTS, AKMU, I.O.I, IVE, ILLIT, KiiiKiii, and CORTIS, according to Allkpop and MK. That is a strong field, and it mixes established names with newer acts in a way that makes the race hard to call.
Other acts appear in two of the three. For example, aespa and Choi Ye Na are nominated for Album of the Year and Best Song of the Year, while Hearts2Hearts is nominated for Artist of the Year and Best Song of the Year, according to Allkpop.
Album nominees reported by TopStar News include aespa's LEMONADE, BTS's ARIRANG, AKMU's Blossom, CORTIS's GREENGREEN, IVE's REVIVE+, I.O.I's I.O.I: LOOP, KiiiKiii's Delulu Pack, Choi Yena's LOVE CATCHER, ALLDAY PROJECT's ALLDAY PROJECT, and ILLIT's MAMIHLAPINATAPAI. Treat those titles as reported spellings, since spelling can vary across Korean and English listings.
The Top 10 vote, already decided
The Top 10 vote closed on October 29, before the main category vote.
RESCENE finished first in that Top 10 vote, after becoming the first act to receive 1 million votes, according to TopStar News on October 30. That result also feeds into the Artist of the Year selection, according to MK and Allkpop.
The Top 10 list itself was announced on October 15, with voting from October 15 to October 29, according to the awards summary. Thirty acts were nominated for Top 10, including BTS, BLACKPINK, Taeyeon, Lim Young-woong, AKMU, IVE, aespa, RIIZE, and PLAVE, according to Chosun Biz.
Who performs, night by night
November 14 features 14 artists and groups, according to Vietnam News. That night includes I.O.I, aespa, ATEEZ, NCT DREAM, RIIZE, TWS, and Choi Yena, plus Hearts2Hearts and other acts.
November 15 features 12 acts, according to the same report. That night includes NCT 127, IVE, ILLIT, NCT WISH, PLAVE, and rookie group KiiiKiii, plus 82MAJOR and other acts.
TopStar News lists a slightly different breakdown, with additional names including Dragon Pony, HANA, and idid on November 14, and ALPHA DRIVE ONE, CORTIS, and Hearts Wave on November 15. Lineup lists vary slightly across reports, so this draft does not claim the lists above are exhaustive.
Twenty six performance slots across two nights is a large show, and it reflects how many acts had a strong year on Melon.
The other categories to watch
Rookie of the Year is a category you can only win once, and this year's nominees are SYSTEM SEOUL, HADES, ALPHA DRIVE ONE, LNGSHOT, and TUIDE, according to MK and Allkpop. Spelling of LNGSHOT varies across sources, with some reports using Longshot, so this draft uses the MK spelling and notes the variation here.
Best Group Female nominees are aespa, IVE, ILLIT, KiiiKiii, and Hearts2Hearts, according to Allkpop. Best Group Male nominees are BTS, CORTIS, PLAVE, BOYNEXTDOOR, and NCT WISH.
Best Solo Female nominees are IU, BOL4, Taeyeon, Jennie, and Choi Ye Na. Best Solo Male nominees are Lim Young-woong, Young K, Lee Chang-sub, BIG Naughty, and SoonSoonHee, according to TopStar News.
Best Pop Artist nominees include Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Charlie Puth, KATSEYE, and Tame Impala, according to MK. That category shows how global the Melon awards have become, even as the core focus stays on Korean music.
Best OST nominees include Kim Min-seok's Love Language, Sung Si-kyung's Some Day With Some Heart, and PLAVE's Original, according to MK.
Why this year feels bigger
This is the first time the Melon Music Awards runs over two days, according to multiple October reports.
That expansion, plus a Top 10 vote that drew 1 million votes for one act, plus a grand prize field that mixes BTS and AKMU with I.O.I, IVE, ILLIT, KiiiKiii, and CORTIS, makes this a year to watch closely.
If you are a fan, vote before November 13 if your category is still open, check the broadcast platform for your region, and plan for two nights, not one.
If you are just curious about K-pop, the nominees list gives you a clear picture of who shaped Korean music in the past year, from established stars to rookies who are just starting.
Unconfirmed or reported, not stated as confirmed fact in this draft: exact local broadcast start times, exhaustive performance lineups where reports vary slightly, album title spellings where English and Korean listings vary, and the spelling of LNGSHOT versus Longshot.
Sources and reporting
- Vietnam News — October 26, 2026 · Reports Kakao Entertainment announcement October 26, ceremony November 14 and 15 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, 26 artists and groups, November 14 lineup including I.O.I, NCT DREAM, ATEEZ, aespa, RIIZE, TWS, YENA, Hearts2Hearts, November 15 lineup including NCT 127, IVE, ILLIT, NCT WISH, PLAVE, 82MAJOR, KiiiKiii, theme K-POP CONNECT: The New Pulse, and broadcast via Melon and Wavve, U-NEXT, TVBS42 and CATCHPLAY+, and 1theK
- Allkpop — October 30, 2026 · Reports nominees announced October 30 for 12 categories, voting until November 13, formula 60 percent digital, 20 percent judging, 20 percent voting, seven acts in all three grand prizes: BTS, AKMU, I.O.I, IVE, ILLIT, KiiiKiii, CORTIS, plus Best Group, Best Solo, and Rookie nominees as cited
- TopStar News — October 30, 2026 · Reports Top 10 vote closed October 29, RESCENE finished first with 1 million votes, category voting began October 30, eligibility November 20, 2025 to October 14, 2026, votes 20 percent for major awards, ceremony November 14 and 15 at Gocheok Sky Dome, and album and solo nominees as cited
- MK — October 30, 2026 · Reports 18th edition, Gocheok Sky Dome November 14 to 15, voting until November 13, 12 categories, formula 60 percent digital, 20 percent judging, 20 percent voting, grand prize nominees BTS, AKMU, I.O.I, IVE, ILLIT, KiiiKiii, CORTIS, and Rookie and Best Pop Artist nominees as cited
- KpopNewswire — October 30, 2026 · Reports nominees announced October 30, voting for categories until November 13, winners announced at ceremony November 14 and 15, 18th edition at Gocheok Sky Dome, aespa, BTS, CORTIS, ILLIT, YENA with four nominations each as the highest total in that report, and formula 60 percent digital, 20 percent judging, 20 percent voting
