MMA2026 adds Global TOP10 category using tri-nation K-pop chart data

Kakao Entertainment announced August 13 that MMA2026 will introduce Global TOP10, a new award category scored against the tri-nation Global-K Chart.

The Global-K Chart launched in June through a partnership between Melon, China's Tencent Music, and Japan's Line Music. It pulls K-pop streaming data from all three platforms plus fan-activity signals from each service—not just raw play counts.

Thirty nominees make the Global TOP10 shortlist based on cumulative Global-K Chart score. The ten winners come from a blend of chart score (60%), expert review (20%), and fan voting (20%). Melon handles domestic voting. International voting runs through Berriz, a global K-culture fan platform. The award carries the same "Main Award" (본상) status as the existing Top 10.

"Global TOP10 was created to reflect K-pop fan sentiment confirmed through the Global-K Chart directly in the awards ceremony," a Kakao Entertainment official said.

November 14–15 at Seoul's Gocheok Sky Dome marks a first for MMA. The ceremony has never spanned two days in performance format since its debut in 2005. The event's slogan is K-POP CONNECT: The New Pulse, centered on the theme of "Connect."

Tencent Music is also using the Global-K Chart for its own TMElive International Music Awards 2026 (2026 TIMA), set for November 22–23 in Hong Kong. That event added a Global-K Artist category built on the same data.