MAJ2026 'Karaoke Special Award' Final Results Announced: M!LK and Kaori Mizumori Win Top Honors

XING Inc. and Daiichikosho Co., Ltd. have announced the final results for the Karaoke Special Award "Karaoke of the Year powered by DAM & JOYSOUND" under the Co-creation Category of the jointly developed "MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2026 (MAJ2026)".

The calculation period was from March 19 to May 31, 2026, and the final results for each category are as follows:

J-Pop Category In the J-Pop Category, M!LK's "Sukisugite Metch!" won the Karaoke Special Award. Riding on the momentum of the social media hit of their previous work "Ii Jan" (ranked 13th in the same category), the song's catchy lyrics and melody attracted a wide audience beyond their fan base. Even amid ranking fluctuations, such as Mrs. GREEN APPLE's "Darling" overtaking Kenshi Yonezu's "IRIS OUT", the song maintained its momentum until the end.

Enka and Kayokyoku Category In the Enka and Kayokyoku Category, Kaori Mizumori's "Osaka Koi Shizuku" secured the Karaoke Special Award with stable strength throughout the period. Mizumori, known as the "Queen of Local Songs" representing various regions in Japan, typically sings songs about heartbroken women traveling alone. Released as her 30th-anniversary single, this song is her first "happy enka" about finding happiness in Osaka, which brought fresh surprise and positive support from her long-time fans.

Characteristics of the Award and Selection Process A key feature of this award is that, in addition to song recognition and popularity, the actual number of times a song is sung in karaoke shops significantly influences the results. Unlike sales trends of physical music or digital distribution, this award serves as a unique index that visualizes support for songs from the perspective of "singing for enjoyment" rather than "listening."

The selection process is as follows: - Entrant Songs: The calculation period was from December 1, 2025, to January 31, 2026. Eligible songs were those released between January 1 and December 31, 2025. The top 30 songs in each category were selected based on the number of times they were sung on DAM and JOYSOUND. - Final Selection: The calculation period was from March 19 to May 31, 2026.

About MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2026 MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN is Japan's largest international music award operated by the Culture and Entertainment Industry Promotion Association (CEIPA), which was established by five major organizations in the domestic music industry (Recording Industry Association of Japan, Japan Music Entrepreneurs Association, Federation of Music Producers Japan, Association of Music Publishers of Japan, and Concert Promoters Association). In addition to six major categories such as "Song of the Year" and "Artist of the Year," it awards diverse musical works across more than 70 categories. In the first edition last year, Mrs. GREEN APPLE's "Lilac" won the J-Pop Category, and Yoshimi Tendo's "Showa Katagi" won the Enka and Kayokyoku Category.