TMA 2026 returned to Korea after three years, held its first Busan ceremony, and honored top K-pop acts with special stages and fan awards.
September/20/2026 12:00Related Groups & Members
The “2026 THE FACT MUSIC AWARDS” (hereinafter “TMA 2026”), held in Korea for the first time in three years, ended successfully. “TMA 2026” was held yesterday (the 19th) at Busan Asiad Main Stadium. “TMA,” which had met global fans in Japan and Macau, returned to Korea after three years and made a new mark by landing in Busan for the first time this year. On this day’s stage, a total of 17 artists appeared: RIIZE, RESCENE, xikers, IDID, ILLIT, ALPHA DRIVE ONE, EVAN (former ENHYPEN member Heeseung), ATEEZ, NMIXX, ALLDAY PROJECT, Lim Young-woong, Choi Yena from IZ*ONE, CORTIS, CLOSE YOUR EYES, KiiiKiii, TREASURE, and tripleS. Each group heated up the venue with its own music and performance, brightly decorating the awards ceremony. Jeon Hyun-moo and Girls’ Generation’s Seohyun, the “face of TMA,” appeared again this year as MCs and showed stable hosting. The two, who co-hosted “TMA” for the eighth time, brought even more vitality to the ceremony with not only their perfect chemistry but also witty talk using the artists’ representative songs and various memes. The grand prizes were won by ATEEZ, NMIXX, RIIZE, and CORTIS. ATEEZ became the “Icon of the Year,” NMIXX the “Sound of the Year,” RIIZE the “Muse of the Year,” and CORTIS the “Record of the Year,” each showing a one-of-a-kind presence. In particular, CORTIS’s achievements stood out. CORTIS won a total of three trophies, including “Record of the Year,” as well as “Artist of the Year” and “Next Leader,” becoming a triple crown winner. In addition, a total of 11 teams that showed outstanding activity in the K-pop scene this year were selected as “Artist of the Year.” Lim Young-woong received the “Popularity Award,” which is decided by fan votes, proving his strong support from fans. Kim Soo-hyun, who attended that day as a special presenter, personally handed over the trophy and shared the moment of his award. Kim Soo-hyun later returned to the stage as a presenter and introduced Lim Young-woong’s stage. He spoke about the power of music that remains in people’s hearts beyond generations and eras. Lim Young-woong, who took the stage, created deep immersion with delicate emotional expression and powerful singing ability, filling the venue with lingering emotion. The newly established “Meister Award” this year also drew attention. The first winners of the “Meister Award,” which is given to male and female artists respectively based 100% on global fan voting, were BTS’s Jin and NMIXX’s Sullyoon. As it was a new category created by the choice of global fans, it was even more meaningful. Special stages that can only be seen at “TMA” also heightened the excitement of the awards ceremony. A variety of stages continued, including cover stages, never-before-seen stages, new arrangements, and special collaborations, fully bringing out each artist’s individuality and presenting a differentiated stage composition unique to “TMA.” In particular, since it was the first awards ceremony held in Busan, stages incorporating local color also drew attention. Jihoon of TREASURE, who is from Busan, and Jiyu of KiiiKiii formed the special duo “Busanz” and sang Younha’s “Comet” together, completing a refreshing yet powerful harmony. The two also greeted fans in the familiar Busan dialect in their acceptance speeches, further elevating the significance of “TMA” being held in Busan. Tarzan of ALLDAY PROJECT also drew laughter and cheers from the venue with a humorous acceptance speech using the Gyeongsang dialect. Awards in various categories continued as well. RESCENE won “Today’s Choice,” which is decided by on-site voting, and BTS, Lee Chan-won, and PLAVE, among others, took trophies in the fan-artist categories. The active participation of fans, who supported artists in their own ways, also increased the significance of the ceremony. “THE FACT MUSIC AWARDS,” which went through Osaka in 2024 and Macau in 2025 before returning to Korea after three years, successfully concluded its first Busan event and marked another milestone. With a wide range of highlights—from grand prize wins to award moments completed by fan choice and special stages infused with Busan’s character—the night in Busan was heated from start to finish. “TMA,” created together by K-pop fans in Korea and abroad, once again demonstrated its presence as a representative K-pop awards ceremony.
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