MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN, Japan’s largest international music awards event, has revealed the first wave of artists performing at its 2026 Grand Ceremony on June 13th.
The 12 act line-up includes Fujii Kaze, HANA, Chanmina, sakanaction, Hitsujibungaku, Kenshi Yonezu, and TWICE sub-unit MISAMO, alongside English singer Sam Smith. Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra will also perform, joined by special guests LiSA, TAKUMA of 10-FEET, and AiNA THE END.
Several of the performers are also nominated for awards. Fujii Kaze, HANA, Kenshi Yonezu, and sakanaction are all up for Artist of the Year, while HANA, Yonezu, and AiNA THE END are nominated for Song of the Year for ‘Blue Jeans’, ‘IRIS OUT’, and ‘On the Way’ respectively. CHANMINA, Hitsujibungaku, LiSA, and TWICE are nominated in their own genre categories, and Fujii Kaze’s ‘Prema’ is in the running for Album of the Year.
Three of the acts were also winners at the inaugural ceremony last year. Fujii Kaze was the most decorated, taking Album of the Year for ‘Love All Serve All’ alongside Best Singer-Songwriter and Best Dance Pop Song. Hitsujibungaku won Best Alternative Song and Best Alternative Artist, and Kenshi Yonezu picked up Top Japanese Song in Asia for ‘Lemon’.
Each of Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra’s guests has a track with the band behind them: LiSA on 2017’s ‘Soshite Paradeha Tsuzuku’, TAKUMA on 2016’s ‘Senkou feat. 10-FEET’, and AiNA THE END on January’s ‘Gakeppuchi Ruby’.
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With MISAMO and Sam Smith sharing the bill, the awards extend their international remit to the live stage for the first time, having featured only Japanese acts at the inaugural 2025 ceremony. Everyone on the line-up will perform whether or not they pick up an award on the night.
More names are expected before June 13th. The Grand Ceremony will be broadcast live on NHK and streamed worldwide on YouTube, excluding certain regions, with further live streams on Lemino, ABEMA, and radiko.
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