MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2025 has rolled out a slate of new announcements ahead of its inaugural ceremony this May, including full entry listings, global Spotify voting categories, and a new regional award developed with six major Asian music awards. The event also confirmed Yellow Magic Orchestra as its official Symbol, with a live tribute concert planned in Kyoto, and revealed an international voting panel featuring senior execs from Universal, Sony, Warner, YouTube, and more.
The two-day event, taking place May 21st–22nd at Kyoto’s ROHM Theatre, positions itself as Japan’s first internationally-focused music awards ceremony. Organised by CEIPA and supported by global platforms and partners, the awards aim to spotlight Japanese artists on the world stage.
Artists and labels have submitted a total of 3,000 songs across multiple categories, including:
- 256 songs for Best Song
- 167 artists for Best Artist
- 171 albums for Best Album
- 61 artists for Best New Artist
- 100 songs for Top Global Hit from Japan
- 24 songs for Best Asian Song
A full list of entries is available on the official website, with more than 1,000 nominated tracks also compiled in an extensive ‘museum’ playlist on Spotify.
International Support and Special Awards
Forming the International Voting Members—a panel contributing to categories including Top Global Hit from Japan—MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN brings together senior figures from across the global music industry. Among them are Lucian Grainge (Universal Music Group), Rob Stringer (Sony Music Group), Robert Kyncl (Warner Music Group), Annette Barrett (IMPF), and Lyor Cohen (YouTube & Google), along with representatives from Billboard, Spotify, and Goldenvoice.
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A newly announced International Special Award will honour tracks already recognised by six major Asian music awards: MAMA (South Korea), TMEA (China), TOTY (Thailand), AMI Awards (Indonesia), AWIT (Philippines), and the Dedication Music Awards (Vietnam). Executives from each award body will also take part as voting members, aiming to strengthen regional ties through music.
Fan Voting Now Open via Spotify
MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2025 will feature multiple open-voting categories, allowing listeners worldwide to cast votes directly through Spotify. These include Best of Listeners’ Choice: Japanese Song, which pulls from 90 entries selected through a mix of fan voting and major genre category nominees, and Best of Listeners’ Choice: International Song, drawn from international tracks popular within Japan. Global Spotify users will decide the winners across two voting rounds—the first held in March, and the second running from April 17th to 30th.
Additionally, Top Global Hit from Japan—which spotlights Japanese songs with the strongest overseas streaming and video metrics—will see its first-round finalists selected entirely by Spotify users outside Japan. The International Voting Members panel will carry out the final voting in this category.
YMO Named Symbol of MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN
Yellow Magic Orchestra have been named the Symbol of the inaugural MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN, in recognition of the group’s lasting impact on Japanese music and its influence abroad.
Formed in 1978 by Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Yukihiro Takahashi, YMO’s early experiments with synthesizers, sequencers, and drum machines helped lay the groundwork for genres like synth-pop, techno, and EDM. Their concept of “Yellow Magic”—a distinctly Japanese take on electronic music—earned them global attention at a time when few Japanese acts had crossed borders.
More than four decades later, YMO’s influence still cuts across genres, with younger generations continuing to discover their work. “While we never really thought of ourselves as mainstream, I can’t help but feel the weight of YMO’s legacy”, Hosono said in a statement. “It’s an honour to be recognised by MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN”.
A live tribute concert will take place at the Kyoto International Conference Center ahead of the ceremony, featuring performances by Yasuyuki Okamura, Ichiro Yamaguchi (Sakanaction), Miu Sakamoto, TOWA TEI, Ginger Root, and the Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra horn section, among others.
MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN will reveal the final nominees on April 17th, coinciding with the start of final voting.
Where Can I Watch the MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN?
You can watch the MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN ceremony live on May 22nd, with the event airing on NHK in Japan and streaming globally via YouTube.
