MAJ2026 'Karaoke Special Award' Final Results: M!LK's 'Sukisugite Metsu!' Wins J-Pop Category, Kaori Mizumori's 'Osaka Koishizuku' Wins Enka/Kayokyoku Category

XING INC. and DAIICHIKOSHO CO., LTD. of the USEN & U-NEXT GROUP are pleased to announce the final results of the Karaoke Special Award "Karaoke of the Year powered by DAM & JOYSOUND" in the co-creation category of MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2026 (hereinafter referred to as MAJ2026), which they are jointly developing.

In the J-Pop category, M!LK's "Sukisugite Metsu!" was honored with the Karaoke Special Award "Karaoke of the Year powered by DAM & JOYSOUND."

Riding on the tailwind of the SNS hit of their previous work "Ii Jan" (ranked 13th in the same category), this song expresses ultimate affection through humorous, catchy lyrics and an upbeat melody. The exquisite mix of cool and comical choreography, unique to their world view, attracted people and penetrated widely beyond their fan base. While the rankings fluctuated, with Mrs. GREEN APPLE's "Darling" overtaking Kenshi Yonezu's "IRIS OUT," its momentum remained unchanged and it held the lead until the end.

In the Enka/Kayokyoku category, Kaori Mizumori's "Osaka Koishizuku" showed stable strength from start to finish and won the Karaoke Special Award "Karaoke of the Year powered by DAM & JOYSOUND."

Known as the "Queen of Local Songs" set in various regions across the country, Kaori Mizumori's signature style has been sad love songs about heartbroken women embarking on solo journeys, as typified by "Tottori Sakyu." Released as her 30th debut anniversary song, this track is her first-ever "happy enka," depicting a woman healed by the vitality and warmth of Osaka, meeting her destined partner, and finding happiness. This new direction brought fresh surprise to long-time fans and gathered positive support.

This award is characterized by the fact that the results are highly influenced by the "number of times people actually visited stores and sang the song," in addition to the recognition and popularity of the song. Therefore, continuous singing by fans and karaoke users is considered to have been a major factor in supporting the award. Unlike sales trends of music software or music distribution, this award presents a unique indicator that visualizes the support for songs from the perspective of "enjoying singing" rather than "enjoying listening."

Karaoke Special Award "Karaoke of the Year powered by DAM & JOYSOUND"

J-Pop Category Final Results Aggregation Period: March 19, 2026 – May 31, 2026

Karaoke Special Award "Karaoke of the Year powered by DAM & JOYSOUND"

Enka/Kayokyoku Category Final Results Aggregation Period: March 19, 2026 – May 31, 2026

About MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2026

MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN is the largest international music award in Japan, operated by the Culture and Entertainment Industry Promotion Association (CEIPA), a general incorporated association established across boundaries by five major organizations in the domestic music industry (Recording Industry Association of Japan, Japan Association of Music Enterprises, Federation of Music Producers Japan, Japan Music Publishers Association, and Concert Promoters Association). In addition to the six major categories such as "Best Song of the Year" and "Best Artist of the Year," it features over 70 categories for genres and themes to award a diverse range of musical works.

Karaoke Special Award "Karaoke of the Year powered by DAM & JOYSOUND"

In the "Co-creation Category," a special section celebrating rich music culture through collaboration with various music-related companies and organizations, both companies jointly develop the Karaoke Special Award as prize partners. They select the definitive karaoke songs in two categories: the J-Pop Category and the Enka/Kayokyoku Category. Last year, for the first edition, Mrs. GREEN APPLE's "Lilac" won in the J-Pop Category, and Yoshimi Tendo's "Showa Katagi" won in the Enka/Kayokyoku Category.

[J-Pop Category] Target is the J-Pop most sung in karaoke [Enka/Kayokyoku Category] Target is the Enka/Kayokyoku most sung in karaoke

Selection Process:

◇ Entry Songs Aggregation Period: December 1 (Mon), 2025 – January 31 (Sat), 2026 Target Songs: Songs released between January 1 (Wed) and December 31 (Wed), 2025 Select top 30 songs in each category by aggregating singing frequency on DAM and JOYSOUND.

◇ Karaoke Special Award "Karaoke of the Year powered by DAM & JOYSOUND" Aggregation Period: March 19 (Thu), 2026 – May 31 (Sun), 2026