K-pop girl group aespa has achieved another major milestone after becoming the first-ever winner of Global-K Artist of the Year at the 2026 Melon Music Awards (MMA 2026).
On November 14, aespa received the newly introduced Grand Prize (Daesang) during the awards ceremony held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul.
The Global-K Artist of the Year award recognizes an artist who has shown outstanding performance on Melon's Global-K Chart and gained significant recognition throughout the year.
With this victory, aespa became the first artist in the history of the Melon Music Awards to receive the prestigious title.
During the acceptance speech, Winter expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the group's fans, known as MY, for their continued love and support.
"I think the reason we can stand in such an honorable place is always because of MY. Even during moments when we couldn't believe in ourselves, you believed in us more than we believed in ourselves and continued supporting us," she shared.
She continued, "Thank you so much. We will work hard to become artists who can repay the love you give us, which we never take for granted."
Meanwhile, Karina thanked the people behind aespa's success, including their agency, management team, staff, and dancers.
"Thank you to everyone at SM, our management, staff, and dancers who always help us. We're always working hard to repay you with even better performances, so please continue looking forward to aespa," she said.
Karina also shared that the award felt particularly meaningful because of the group's upcoming sixth debut anniversary.
"Our sixth debut anniversary is coming up soon, and I think the award we received today is a gift to us. I'll share this happiness with the members," she added.
In addition to the Grand Prize, aespa was also named among the Global TOP10 artists, bringing the group's total to two awards during the ceremony.
The achievement marks another important moment in aespa's career as the group celebrates nearly six years since its debut.
By becoming the inaugural Global-K Artist of the Year winner, aespa has added a new historic achievement to its growing list of music awards.
K-pop girl group aespa has achieved another major milestone after becoming the first-ever winner of Global-K Artist of the Year at the 2026 Melon Music Awards (MMA 2026).
On November 14, aespa received the newly introduced Grand Prize (Daesang) during the awards ceremony held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul.
The Global-K Artist of the Year award recognizes an artist who has shown outstanding performance on Melon's Global-K Chart and gained significant recognition throughout the year.
With this victory, aespa became the first artist in the history of the Melon Music Awards to receive the prestigious title.
During the acceptance speech, Winter expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the group's fans, known as MY, for their continued love and support.
"I think the reason we can stand in such an honorable place is always because of MY. Even during moments when we couldn't believe in ourselves, you believed in us more than we believed in ourselves and continued supporting us," she shared.
She continued, "Thank you so much. We will work hard to become artists who can repay the love you give us, which we never take for granted."
Meanwhile, Karina thanked the people behind aespa's success, including their agency, management team, staff, and dancers.
"Thank you to everyone at SM, our management, staff, and dancers who always help us. We're always working hard to repay you with even better performances, so please continue looking forward to aespa," she said.
Karina also shared that the award felt particularly meaningful because of the group's upcoming sixth debut anniversary.
"Our sixth debut anniversary is coming up soon, and I think the award we received today is a gift to us. I'll share this happiness with the members," she added.
In addition to the Grand Prize, aespa was also named among the Global TOP10 artists, bringing the group's total to two awards during the ceremony.
The achievement marks another important moment in aespa's career as the group celebrates nearly six years since its debut.
By becoming the inaugural Global-K Artist of the Year winner, aespa has added a new historic achievement to its growing list of music awards.
