New Music Award Introduced in Japan; 256 Songs Including K-POP Candidates for Song of the Year

MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN (MAJ), organized by the Japan Cultural Entertainment Industry Promotion Association (CEIPA) founded jointly by five major organizations in Japan’s music industry, is set to hold its inaugural event this year. Taking place in Kyoto in May under the slogan “Connecting the World and Illuminating the Future of Music,” the ceremony will recognize domestic and international musical works and artists across more than 60 categories, including Song of the Year and Artist of the Year. The category evaluations for MAJ were conducted using entries submitted from February 5, 2024, to January 26, 2025. On March 13 of last year, the candidates for Song of the Year were announced, and currently, domestic voting committee members are narrowing down each category to five final contenders through their votes. A total of 256 songs have been listed as candidates for Song of the Year. Comparative analyses between MAJ and Billboard Japan (BBJ) charts reveal distinct characteristics between the two. Looking at the score composition of the 256 Song of the Year candidates, streaming accounts for the largest share in both charts, reflecting streaming’s status as the primary method of modern music consumption. The biggest difference between MAJ and BBJ lies in the weight given to CD sales and downloads. MAJ assigns 10% importance to CD sales, whereas BBJ assigns only 2%, demonstrating MAJ’s policy decision in light of Japan’s still-active CD sales market. The download metric also shows MAJ at 7% compared to BBJ’s 4%, indicating that MAJ gives higher value to music consumption in owned formats. MAJ selects its Song of the Year candidates based on its proprietary chart system, which combines six indicators from the Japan Hot 100 chart (compiled on a two-month basis) with user-generated content (UGC) data. This structure is designed to allow songs that gain popularity over short periods to qualify as candidates as well. MAJ’s system, which focuses on streaming while balancing various evaluation metrics, is regarded as effectively capturing the unique traits of Japan’s music market.