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As of October 18, 2026, MMA 2026 TOP10 voting runs on Melon from October 15 to October 29 (KST), and category voting runs October 30 to November 13. Paid Melon members get 3 votes a day, free members 1. The awards are November 14-15 at Gocheok Sky Dome.
MMA 2026 is the 18th Melon Music Awards, hosted by Kakao Entertainment with KakaoBank as title sponsor, and it is the first edition held over two days. The schedule below comes from the official MMA2026 page on Melon, checked on October 18, 2026.
When does MMA 2026 voting open and close?
MMA 2026 voting has two rounds. The TOP10 vote on Melon runs from Thursday, October 15 to Thursday, October 29, 2026, and category voting runs from Friday, October 30 to Friday, November 13, 2026, according to the timeline on Melon's official MMA2026 page (checked October 18, 2026).
The Melon page lists dates only, not opening or closing hours. Kakao Entertainment told Korean media on October 15, 2026 that each day's vote allowance is granted at midnight, so the daily cycle follows Korea Standard Time (KST, UTC+9, no daylight saving). Midnight KST is 15:00 UTC on the previous calendar day. The exact closing minute of the TOP10 vote on October 29 has not been published in an official notice as of October 18, 2026, so the safest plan is to cast the last votes well before the end of that day in Korea.
The two ticket sales fall inside the TOP10 window. Melon lists the first sale on Monday, October 19 at 8 PM for GOLD tier members or higher, and the second sale on Thursday, October 22 at 8 PM for Melon paid members.
How many times can you vote for MMA 2026 TOP10 on Melon each day?
Melon paid members can cast 3 TOP10 votes a day and free members 1 vote a day during the October 15-29, 2026 TOP10 period, Kakao Entertainment said in a statement reported on October 15, 2026. The allowance is granted again every day at midnight KST, so the way to add weight is to vote on each day of the period.
Only Melon IDs that have completed identity verification (본인 인증, bon-in injeung) can vote. Kakao Entertainment gives the reason as fair judging and preventing duplicate voting. This rule matters more than the daily count for international fans, because the verification step is designed around Korean identity checks.
There is also a reward for voting. During the TOP10 period, Melon paid members who complete their vote are entered into a random draw for MMA invitations: 20 invitations a day, 300 in total, one per person, according to the same October 15, 2026 statement.
Thirty acts are on the TOP10 candidate list, including BTS, BLACKPINK, aespa, IVE, CORTIS, KiiiKiii and Lim Young-woong, according to Korean press reports from October 15, 2026.
How much do fan votes count toward each MMA 2026 award?
Fan votes count for 20% of most MMA 2026 awards, including TOP10, but the share runs from 0% to 80% depending on the award. Melon's official MMA2026 page lists the formula for every category:
| Award | Vote share | Full formula |
|---|---|---|
| KakaoBank Everyone's Star | 80% | Panel 20% + votes 80% (voting in the KakaoBank mobile app) |
| Japan Favorite Artist by U-NEXT | 50% | Panel 50% + votes 50% (voting on Japan's U-NEXT) |
| TOP10 | 20% | Digital score 60% + panel 20% + votes 20% |
| Global TOP10 | 20% | Global-K Chart 60% + panel 20% + votes 20% |
| Main awards: Album, Artist, Song and New Artist of the Year | 20% | Digital score 60% + panel 20% + votes 20% |
| Best awards: Solo Female/Male, Group Female/Male, OST, POP Artist | 20% | Digital score 60% + panel 20% + votes 20% |
| TrackZero Choice | 20% | Digital score 20% + panel 60% + votes 20% |
| Record of the Year, Global-K of the Year, all Special awards | 0% | Panel review 100% |
As of October 18, 2026. Source: Melon MMA2026 info page.
For the 20% awards, streaming matters three times as much as voting. The digital score covers tracks released between November 20, 2025 and October 14, 2026, so the period that feeds the 60% share has already closed. That is the main reason fandoms keep a steady streaming routine to support K-pop artists all year rather than only in award season.
The Global TOP10 uses a different chart window: each artist's cumulative Global-K Chart score from May 11 to October 14, 2026, combining Melon, TME and LINE MUSIC data at a 1:1:1 ratio, according to Melon's MMA2026 page.
Can international fans vote for MMA 2026, and where does Berriz fit in?
International fans have one announced route: overseas votes for the Global TOP10 category are cast on Berriz, Kakao Entertainment's fan platform, while domestic votes go through Melon, Kakao Entertainment said when it announced the category on August 13, 2026. Berriz said on October 6, 2026 that the global fan vote would open "soon", but no voting dates had been published as of October 18, 2026.
The regular TOP10 vote on Melon is limited to identity-verified Melon IDs. Kakao Entertainment has not published, as of October 18, 2026, whether or how an overseas account without Korean identity documents can complete that verification, so this guide does not describe a workaround.
Two popularity awards use their own apps. Voting for KakaoBank Everyone's Star takes place in the KakaoBank mobile app, and voting for Japan Favorite Artist by U-NEXT takes place on Japan's U-NEXT service, according to Melon's MMA2026 page.
- Melon (Korea)
- TOP10 vote, October 15-29, 2026. Identity-verified Melon ID only. Paid members 3 votes a day, free members 1.
- Berriz (global)
- Overseas votes for Global TOP10. Voting dates not announced as of October 18, 2026.
- KakaoBank app
- KakaoBank Everyone's Star, where votes count for 80% of the result.
- U-NEXT (Japan)
- Japan Favorite Artist by U-NEXT, where votes count for 50% of the result.
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When and where is the MMA 2026 ceremony?
The MMA 2026 ceremony takes place on Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15, 2026, at 6 PM each day, at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, according to Melon's MMA2026 page and Kakao Entertainment's newsroom. It is the first time the Melon Music Awards run over two days.
Melon lists live streams on Melon and Wavve in South Korea, U-NEXT in Japan, TVBS in Taiwan and 1theK globally. Overseas viewers can also watch on the "Melon" or "1theK" YouTube channels, with some countries excluded, according to the same page.
Fans travelling to the show can read the Gocheok Sky Dome concert guide for transport and entry, compare areas in where to stay near Gocheok Sky Dome, and check Korean concert ticket sites for foreigners before a sale.
Not announced yet (as of October 18, 2026)
- Berriz voting dates and rules for the Global TOP10 overseas vote
- The exact closing time of the TOP10 vote on October 29
- Whether overseas Melon accounts can complete identity verification
- The platform and nominee lists for the October 30 - November 13 category vote
What else explains K-pop award voting?
For how MMA compares with MAMA and the other year-end shows, read K-pop end-of-year awards explained. MAMA voting runs on a different app; the steps are in how to vote on Mnet Plus. For the 60% digital share behind most MMA awards, see how to stream K-pop music to support artists.
Sources (last verified October 18, 2026)
- Melon — MMA2026 official info page (dates, venue, award formulas, ticket sales, broadcasters)
- Kakao Entertainment newsroom — Kakao Entertainment to host MMA2026 on Nov 14-15
- Geumgang Ilbo, Oct 15, 2026 — Kakao Entertainment statement on TOP10 voting rules
- ZDNet Korea, Oct 15, 2026 — MMA2026 TOP10 vote and candidates
- Korea Daily, Oct 15, 2026 — MMA2026 TOP10 candidates
- The Asia Business Daily, Aug 13, 2026 — New Global TOP10 category (Melon and Berriz voting)
- Sports Kyunghyang, Oct 6, 2026 — Berriz MMA2026 items and upcoming global vote
Change history: Published 2026-10-19.
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