Sept. 30, 2026, SEOUL, KOREA – NCT 127, ATEEZ, TWS, ILLIT, and Hearts2Hearts – A-list K-pop acts that have made waves in 2026 will command the stage at Kakao Entertainment’s MMA2026, taking place Nov. 14-15 at Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome.
Kakao Entertainment has unveiled the new lineups for the upcoming 18th Melon Music Awards – K-pop’s largest awards ceremony that shines a global spotlight on artists and their achievements throughout the year, powered by Melon’s data and fans’ votes. The announcement has sparked heightened excitement among fans worldwide, who are eagerly awaiting the remaining acts to be revealed. Kakao Entertainment is poised to deliver a spectacular production that lives up to the buzz, drawing on its expertise in K-pop and large-scale event production.
Included in the star-packed lineup is NCT 127 – celebrating its 10th debut anniversary this year. Its seventh full-length album “BLINGY,” released in August, surpassed one million streams within 24 hours of its release, earning a place in Melon’s Hall of Fame as a “Millions Album.” The group recently held the Seoul leg of its fifth tour “NCT 127 5TH TOUR ‘NEO CITY : SEOUL – THE REDLINE” at KSPO DOME, attracting a total of 31,500 fans.
NCT DREAM, also celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, has consistently ranked among the top artists on Melon’s Global-K Chart, which aggregates usage data across Korea, China, and Japan. The group sold out all seats for its 10th-anniversary fan meeting, and is slated for a new album in the fourth quarter.
ATEEZ, who set social media ablaze this summer with the “BAD” challenge, achieved a new career high with “BAD” – the title track from its 14th mini-album dropped in June. The song debuted at No. 81 on Melon’s TOP100 and climbed steadily to No. 7 in a rare reversal of fortunes. In the U.S., the album sold 223,000 copies in its first week and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
82MAJOR, now in its third year since debut, has also achieved a series of career milestones. With “Like Fire,” the lead track of its single “HEAT” released in September, reached No. 64 on Melon’s HOT100, setting a new personal best, while the album surpassed 150,000 copies in first-week sales.
TWS has demonstrated impressive growth through two comebacks this year. Its digital single “Our Memories,” released in February, debuted at No. 40 on Melon’s TOP100 on the day of release, marking the group’s highest debut on the chart at the time. In April, the title track “You, You” from its fifth mini-album “NO TRAGEDY” exceeded 1.11 million copies in first-week sales, making it their first million-selling album.
AND2BLE, who secured a global fandom immediately after its debut in May, made an impressive entrance with “Curious,” the title track of its debut album. The song reached No. 7 on Melon’s HOT100, while the album recorded approximately 730,000 copies in first-week sales, ranking fourth among the highest first-week sales by a K-pop group at debut.
YENA reached No. 5 on Melon’s TOP100 with her smash hit “Catch Catch,” the lead track of her fifth mini-album, ‘LOVE CATCHER.’ With this feat, she became the first solo artist to break into the chart’s Top 10 in 2026. YENA has carved out a unique musical identity and established herself as a true solo queen, captivating fans worldwide with her distinctive concepts and high-energy performances.
ILLIT’s “It’s Me,” from its fourth mini-album released in April, peaked at No. 2 on Melon’s TOP100 and has remained in the upper ranks five months later. Its second Japanese single, “I Got Your Back (Feat. JISOO, MOMOKA of HANA),” dropped last month, has also generated buzz, bringing renewed attention to its previous hits.
RESCENE, who sparked a “reverse-charting” sensation this year, has achieved a dramatic turnaround with “LOVE ATTACK,” the title track of its first mini-album SCENEDROME, released in August 2024. Approximately two years after its release, the track reached No. 1 on Melon’s TOP100 in July and went on to top Melon’s monthly chart in August.
Hearts2Hearts hit a new career high with its February single “RUDE!,” grabbing No. 3 on Melon’s TOP100, No. 1 on the HOT100, and No. 4 on the daily chart. Its second mini-album, ‘Lemon Tang,’ released in June, also sparked a refreshing wave across the K-pop scene this summer, with its lead track topping both QQ Music’s K-pop weekly and rising charts in China.
This year, MMA will expand to two days for the first time in its history, uniting a more diverse lineup of artists and fans from the world. Taking place under the keyword “Connect,” and the slogan “K-POP CONNECT: The New Pulse,” the upcoming event aims to define the moment when K-pop fans worldwide gather and unite beyond time and space.
Notably, Kakao Entertainment has added a new award category “Global TOP 10,” tied to the recently launched Global-K Chart. By introducing the “Global TOP 10” category, Kakao Entertainment aims to reflect global fan responses, giving them a greater voice in the awards and spotlighting artists who resonate with audiences worldwide. U-NEXT, Japan’s largest comprehensive OTT platform and MMA’s exclusive partner since 2024, will exclusively livestream both days of the event in Japan, bringing the artists’ memorable moments to audiences across the country.
Download all images
