Minami Takahashi and JOY also praised! "Congratche!" crowned Grand Prix of "NEXT IDOL GRANDPRIX 2026", a contest to determine the top next-break idol

The NEXT IDOL GRANDPRIX Executive Committee held the final live audience mobilization judging and awards ceremony for the "NEXT IDOL GRANDPRIX 2026" (abbreviation "NIG2026"), a large-scale idol contest with a total prize money of 20 million yen to determine the top next-break idol, at Kanadevia Hall (Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo) on Thursday, March 26, 2026. In addition to on-site viewing, the event was live-streamed on RakutenTV, and enthusiastic cheers were sent from many fans to the 16 finalist groups through a real and online hybrid format.

The glorious Grand Prix went to the 7-member idol group "Congratche!". Furthermore, "PHiZZ" was selected as the runner-up, "Momo-nyan" in 3rd place, "Fruit Fruit" in 4th place, and "Kasumin" in 5th place. As a prize, these five groups will appear at "NIG FES 2026," held on Friday, March 27, 2026, fulfilling their dream of performing with their admired idols.

An idol festival to be held at Kanadevia Hall on Friday, March 27, 2026. A total of 18 leading Japanese idol groups, including past Grand Prix winners who have spread their wings to further success from NIG such as "Shumatsu no Anthem," "SAI²Rium," and "Peel the Apple," as well as "NMB48," "Niji no Conquistador," and "Takane no Nadeshiko," will appear! A total of 23 groups, including the 5 next-break idol groups who won "NEXT IDOL GRANDPRIX 2026," will perform, enlivening the venue with their diverse performances.

■ About "NEXT IDOL GRANDPRIX 2026"

The "NEXT IDOL GRANDPRIX" is an idol contest that has been held since 2019, with the theme of "deciding the top next-break idol" for female idols worldwide.

In this 7th iteration of the contest, 16 groups who won the preliminary rounds advanced to the finals. The glorious Grand Prix was decided based on a rigorous judging process across all 10 categories, including points earned and video likes on the live streaming & video app "MixChannel" ( https://mixch.tv/ ), developed and operated by DONUTS Co., Ltd. (Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Keisei Nishimura), during the final period (Friday, February 27, 2026, to Wednesday, March 25, 2026), votes received via "MixChannel Yell," as well as audience mobilization votes and judges' votes from the interim live audience mobilization judging held at TwinBox AKIHABARA (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) on Saturday, March 7, 2026, and the final live audience mobilization judging held today at Kanadevia Hall.

Official website: https://nig.mixch.tv/