MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN will return in 2026, moving its main ceremony to the newly built TOYOTA ARENA TOKYO. Organised by the Japan’s Culture and Entertainment Industry Promotion Association (CEIPA), the second edition follows this year’s Kyoto launch and is set to expand with a larger live production, additional performances, and an industry programme of seminars and showcases involving domestic and international figures.
The venue, scheduled to open in October 2025, marks a step up in scale for MAJ. The relocation also aligns with CEIPA’s partnership with the TOYOTA GROUP on the MUSIC WAY PROJECT announced in February, which outlined the TOYOTA ARENA TOKYO as a key hub for international showcases and education initiatives.
In a statement, executive committee chair Tatsuya Nomura thanked supporters for the response to the inaugural event and outlined the thinking behind the move to Tokyo.
“After launching in Kyoto, the award ceremony will move to Tokyo in 2026. This reflects our long-term vision to establish MAJ as a hub for sharing the richness of Japanese and Asian music with the world. To do that, we wanted to bring it to Japan’s capital and one of the world’s most beloved cities.”
He added that the committee is reviewing and redesigning categories “so that we can present an even stronger award program in the year ahead”, with a goal to “create a global stage where diverse talent can come together and inspire audiences worldwide”.
Billed as Japan’s largest international music award, MAJ follows the concept of “Connecting with the World and illuminating the Future of Music”, aiming to highlight music from Japan and across Asia while supporting international artists entering the Japanese market.
CEIPA says it will announce details on categories and voting in the near future.
What happened in 2025
The inaugural MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN took place across two days at ROHM Theatre Kyoto in May 2025, streaming worldwide on YouTube. Artists and industry professionals from around the world voted to select winners in 62 categories from more than 3,000 entries.
Creepy Nuts were the dominant winners, taking nine awards across both days, including Song of the Year for ‘Bling-Bang-Bang-Born’. Mrs. GREEN APPLE received Artist of the Year, while Fujii Kaze won Album of the Year for ‘LOVE ALL SERVE ALL’. YOASOBI took Top Global Hit From Japan for ‘Idol’, which set a record 21-week run at No. 1 on the Billboard JAPAN Hot 100.
Across the two ceremonies, MAJ presented a wide range of live and pre-recorded performances, from THE SPELLBOUND’s tribute to BOOM BOOM SATELLITES on day 1 to the RYDEEN REBOOT segment honouring YMO on day 2. Sets from YOASOBI, Creepy Nuts, CHANMINA, Hikaru Utada, Fujii Kaze, Awich with AI, Mrs. GREEN APPLE, and Eikichi Yazawa underlined the event’s mix of generations and genres.
Read the full highlights from MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2025 day 1 and day 2.
Watch and follow
You can watch footage from MAJ 2025 now on the event’s official YouTube, including the Premiere Ceremony, Grand Ceremony, and an event digest. Further 2026 announcements will be posted via the official website and social channels.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source electricbloomwebzine.com ’
