The Fact Music Awards

The Fact Music Awards (TMA) is a South Korean K-pop awards ceremony established in 2019 by The Fact magazine and Fan N Star, recognizing major contributors to the Hallyu wave through a combination of Circle Chart data, jury evaluation, and fan voting. The ceremony has grown into one of K-pop's premier awards events, with the 2025 edition held in Macao and the 2026 edition scheduled for Busan Asiad Main Stadium on September 19, 2026.

How the Fact Music Awards Work

The TMA determines winners through a three-part system:

1. Chart Data: Objective performance data from Circle Chart (formerly Gaon Music Charts) forms the quantitative basis for evaluations. This includes streaming numbers, digital sales, and physical album sales.
2. Jury Evaluation: A panel of industry judges assesses artistic quality, performance impact, and overall contribution to the K-pop industry.
3. Fan Participation: Fans vote through the Fan N Star platform, accumulating participation scores that feed directly into final results. International fans can participate, making TMA one of the most globally inclusive K-pop awards.

The ceremony features five Daesang (Grand Prize) categories: Record of the Year, Muse of the Year, Sound of the Year, Icon of the Year, and Honor of the Year. These represent the highest honors. The Bonsang (Artist of the Year) is awarded to multiple acts who demonstrate excellence across the eligibility period.

Additional categories include World Best Performer, World Best Wave, Next Leader for rookie groups, and seasonal Best Music awards. The Fan N Star Choice awards let fans directly select their favorite solo and group acts.

Real-World Example: TMA 2025 in Macao

The 2025 Fact Music Awards took place on September 20, 2025, at the Macao Outdoor Performance Venue, hosted by Jun Hyun-moo and Seohyun. Stray Kids dominated the ceremony, winning four awards: Honor of the Year, Record of the Year, Artist of the Year, and the TMA Popularity Award. Member Seungmin thanked their fanbase STAY for continued support.

aespa won three awards including Muse of the Year, Special Jury Award, and Artist of the Year. ENHYPEN took home three trophies: Icon of the Year, Today's Choice, and Artist of the Year. IVE won Sound of the Year, while ZEROBASEONE earned World Best Performer and BOYNEXTDOOR received World Best Wave.

Three BTS members won seasonal Best Music awards: J-Hope for Spring, Jin for Summer, and V for Winter. Jin also won Fan N Star Choice (Solo), while PLAVE took Fan N Star Choice (Group) and Global Hot Star. Lim Young-woong received the Angel N Star award.

The 2026 edition (the 9th TMA) returns to Korea on September 19, 2026, at Busan Asiad Main Stadium, marking the first domestic ceremony since 2023.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

The TMA is one of the few major K-pop awards where fan participation directly influences results. This means artists with highly engaged fanbases can outperform expectations regardless of label size. The Next Leader category specifically targets emerging groups, and the Hottest category recognizes rising acts.

For independent K-pop artists or groups, building a dedicated Fan N Star presence is essential. The platform rewards consistent fan activity, not just one-time voting surges. International fans can participate fully, so building a global fanbase matters as much as domestic popularity.

If you are an independent artist targeting the K-pop market, focus on building streaming numbers on Korean platforms like Melon and Genie (which feed Circle Chart data), and cultivate an active Fan N Star community. Use our Streaming Royalty Calculator to track your performance across platforms. Check the TMA website for eligibility windows and voting schedules.

Award Categories Explained

TMA presents awards across 19 categories in four groups:

Daesang (Grand Prize) Categories (5 awards):

• Record of the Year: Highest honor for overall musical achievement, based on single and album scores (60 percent) plus judges' scores (40 percent)
• Muse of the Year: Awarded to the artist who inspires fans and the industry, determined by fan voting and judge evaluation
• Sound of the Year: Recognizes the most impactful sonic release of the eligibility period
• Icon of the Year: Awarded to the artist who defined the year's cultural conversation in K-pop
• Honor of the Year: The ceremony's top honor, recognizing the artist with the most significant overall impact

Bonsang and Performance Categories (5 awards):

• Artist of the Year (Bonsang): Awarded to multiple acts who demonstrated excellence. Typically 7 to 10 acts receive this award each year
• World Best Performer: Top live performance act, judged on stage presence and technical skill
• World Best Wave: Top act driving the global spread of K-pop
• Today's Choice: Award determined by audience votes on the day of the ceremony
• TMA Popularity Award: Fan-voted award for the most popular act

Fan and Emerging Categories (6 awards):

• TMA Popularity Award: Fan-driven award for the most popular act
• Next Leader: Top rookie or emerging group
• Hottest: Rising act with the most momentum
• Global Hot Trend: Act driving the biggest global trend
• Fan N Star Choice (Solo): Fan-voted award for top solo artist
• Fan N Star Choice (Group): Fan-voted award for top group

Special Categories (3 awards):

• Best Music (Seasonal): Four awards (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter) for the top seasonal releases
• Angel N Star: Special recognition award
• Special Jury Award: Awarded by the judging panel for exceptional artistic merit

Notable Past Winners

TMA 2025 (8th Edition, September 20, 2025, Macao)

TMA 2024 (7th Edition, September 7-8, 2024, Osaka)

TMA 2023 (6th Edition, October 10, 2023, Incheon)

TMA 2022 (5th Edition, October 8, 2022)

Video Highlights

Kim Jaejoong delivered a three-song performance at the 2024 ceremony in Osaka, opening with "Devotion" and closing with "Glorious Day" and "Boy." He also received the Hot Stage of the Year award. Stray Kids won four awards at the 2025 ceremony in Macao, including Honor of the Year and Record of the Year. Their SKZ-TALKER episode 74 documents their rehearsal, performance, and acceptance speech backstage at TMA 2025. The TMA 2025 ending stage video shows the closing moments of the ceremony in Macao, with over 30,000 fans in attendance.

Eligibility and Submission

TMA does not have a public submission process. Winners are determined through a three-part system:

1. Circle Chart Data (60 percent): Objective performance data from Circle Chart (formerly Gaon Music Charts). This includes streaming numbers on Korean platforms like Melon and Genie, digital sales, and physical album sales. The eligibility period typically covers the 12 months before the ceremony.
2. Jury Evaluation (40 percent): A panel of industry judges assesses artistic quality, performance impact, and overall contribution to K-pop. The jury includes music critics, producers, and industry executives.
3. Fan Participation: Fans vote through the Fan N Star platform. Participation scores feed into the final results. Categories like TMA Popularity Award and Fan N Star Choice are heavily fan-driven. International fans can participate fully.

Artists do not need to submit their work. The data-driven evaluation means strong chart performance on Korean platforms is the primary path to nomination. Building an active Fan N Star community is essential for fan-voted categories.

Similar Awards

• MAMA Awards - Mnet's annual K-pop awards ceremony, one of the largest in the industry
• Melon Music Awards - Awards based on Melon streaming data, one of Korea's largest platforms
• Seoul Music Awards - One of Korea's longest-running music awards ceremonies
• Golden Disc Awards - Awards based on physical and digital album sales
• Circle Chart Music Awards - Awards based on Circle Chart (Gaon) data, which also feeds TMA evaluations
• KGMA Awards - Korea Grammys, a newer industry-voted K-pop awards ceremony
• Asia Artist Awards - Pan-Asian awards covering both music and acting

Related Resources

• Streaming Royalty Calculator - Track streaming performance that feeds into TMA chart data
• Target Streams Calculator - Set streaming goals for awards eligibility
• 21 Ways Musicians Can Earn Income - Build revenue alongside awards strategy
• When and How to Hire a Music Manager - A manager can help coordinate fan voting campaigns
• Performance Rights Organizations - Korean PROs like KOMCA collect royalties for TMA-nominated songwriters