Melon Music Awards Expands to Two Nights at Gocheok Sky Dome, With I.O.I, Aespa and Ive Among 26 Acts

Photos (left to right): @aanglerrr (aang) / CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · NewsInStar / CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · 티비텐 TV10 / CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · sublimitas viii / CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Melon, South Korea's largest music streaming platform, has completed the performer lineup for the 18th Melon Music Awards (MMA2026). The ceremony will run for two nights, Nov. 14 and 15, at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, with 26 K-pop acts on the bill. [1][2]

Who plays which night

Melon announced the final 11 additions on Wednesday: I.O.I, aespa, IVE, Dragon Pony, KiiiKiii, CORTIS, IDID, hrtz.wav, AEN, TUIDE and Japanese girl group HANA. They join 15 acts revealed earlier, and KakaoBank is title sponsor. Night one, Nov. 14, has 14 acts, including NCT DREAM, ATEEZ, YENA, RIIZE, TWS, RESCENE and Hearts2Hearts. Night two, Nov. 15, has 12, with NCT 127, PLAVE, 82MAJOR, NCT WISH, ILLIT, ALPHA DRIVE ONE, LNGSHOT and AND2BLE alongside IVE, KiiiKiii, CORTIS and hrtz.wav. [1]

A first two-day format and a new streaming award

This is the first time the awards have stretched over two days. They also add a new award based on streaming activity across South Korea, China and Japan, tied to the Global-K Chart. That chart is an integrated music index launched by Melon, Tencent Music and Line Music. The theme is "K-POP CONNECT: The New Pulse," which signals a push toward cross-border listening data. [2][1]

Voting and the 30 nominees

Voting for the Top 10 award, which recognizes 10 of the year's most popular artists, opened Thursday and continues through Oct. 29. Digital music performance counts for 60 percent of the score, while a judging panel and fan votes each carry 20 percent. The 30 nominees range from established names such as BTS, Blackpink and Girls' Generation's Taeyeon to newer groups including Cortis, Hearts2Hearts and KiiiKiii. [2]

Chart results behind the stage lineup

I.O.I, a project girl group formed through Mnet's "Produce 101," returns about nine years after its earlier activities. Its single "Suddenly," from the May EP "I.O.I: Loop," topped both Melon's Top 100 and Hot 100 and won music shows three weeks running. Ive's "Bang Bang" took eight music show wins, and KiiiKiii earned its first Top 100 No. 1 with "404 (New Era)." Cortis's "RedRed" stayed in the top three of Melon's monthly chart for five straight months, May through September. Rookie group Tuide, which debuted in August under Hybe's girl group label ABD, placed "Sun Kiss" at No. 14 on the Hot 100. Aespa's album "Lemonade" reached No. 9 on the Billboard 200. [2]

Sources

  1. MMA2026 brings 26 K-pop acts to Gocheok Sky Dome for 2-night spectacle (Activity source)
  2. Aespa, Ateez lead MMAs lineup, as BTS, Blackpink earn nominations (Related report)

This selection covers artists followed by Omni Topic KWave. It is not a complete chart. Each source retains its own reporting period and methodology.

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