JUDGING CRITERIA
2026 TMA Judging Criteria
The Fact Music Awards Categories
THE FACT MUSIC AWARDS
| Category | Song Score | Album Score | Performance Score | Topic Score | Judging Score | Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICON OF THE YEAR | 60% | 20% | - | 20% | - | |
| MUSE OF THE YEAR | 60% | - | 20% | 20% | - | |
| SOUND OF THE YEAR | 80% | - | - | - | 20% | - |
| RECORD OF THE YEAR | - | 80% | - | - | 20% | - |
| WORLD BEST PERFORMER | 60% | - | - | 40% | - | |
| WORLD BEST WAVE | 60% | - | - | 40% | - | |
| ARTIST OF THE YEAR | 60% | - | - | 40% | - | |
| GLOBAL HOT TREND | 60% | - | - | 40% | - | |
| NEXT LEADER | 60% | - | - | 40% | - | |
| HOTTEST | 60% | - | - | 40% | - | |
| TMA POPULARITY AWARD | - | - | - | - | - | 100% (Pre-Voting) |
| TODAY'S CHOICE | - | - | - | - | - | 100% (On-site voting) |
- Award categories are subject to change.
- Expert Judges: The Fact Editor-in-Chief Jung Jae-woong, Composer Park Geun-tae, Composer Cho Young-soo, Producer Ryan Jhun
- Selection Method: Based on digital music and albums active during the eligibility period.
- Data Reference: Circle Chart & Hanteo Chart & Melon
- Eligibility Period : 2025. 09. 01 ~ 2026. 08. 31
FANNSTAR Categories
FANNSTAR
| Category | Description | Voting Schedule | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BEST MUSIC | Fall | Selected among artists who released music from July to September 2025 | 2025-09-29 ~ 2025-10-27 |
| BEST MUSIC | Winter | Selected among artists who released music from October to December 2025 | 2026-01-05 ~ 2026-02-02 |
| BEST MUSIC | Spring | Selected among artists who released music from January to March 2026 | 2026-04-06 ~ 2026-05-04 |
| BEST MUSIC | Summer | Selected among artists who released music from April to June 2026 | 2026-07-06 ~ 2026-08-03 |
| GLOBAL HOT STAR | The most beloved 4th and 5th generation idols domestically and internationally in 2026 |
Preliminary: 2025-09-22 ~ 2026-07-20 Final: 2026-07-20 ~ 2026-08-10 |
|
| MY STAR AWARD | Male | The most loved male artist on Fan N Star in 2026 | 1st Round: 2026-07-20 ~ 2026-08-03 2nd Round: 2026-08-03 ~ 2026-08-17 |
| MY STAR AWARD | Female | The most loved female artist on Fan N Star in 2026 |
1st Round: 2026-07-20 ~ 2026-08-03 2nd Round: 2026-08-03 ~ 2026-08-17 |
| CHOICE AWARD | Group | Selected among group artists who released an album within the past year | 1st Round: 2026-07-20 ~ 2026-08-03 2nd Round: 2026-08-18 ~ 2026-09-07 |
| CHOICE AWARD | Solo | Selected among solo artists who released an album within the past year | 1st Round: 2026-07-20 ~ 2026-08-03 2nd Round: 2026-08-18 ~ 2026-09-07 |
| TMA BEST STAGE | The artist who delivered the fans' top pick performance among the 2026 TMA stages (based on the lineup) | 2026-09-21 ~ 2026-10-19 | |
