MEOVV has added a major trophy to the group’s growing collection, taking home Best Artist at the 2026 Korea Grand Music Awards (KGMA) on November 7.
The five-member group — Sooin, Gawon, Anna, Narin, and Ella — won the honor on ARTIST DAY, the opening night of the two-day ceremony held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. The show was hosted by actress Nam Ji Hyun and RESCENE’s Woni, and it marked the third edition of the KGMA, which was founded by Ilgan Sports in 2024.
MEOVV was one of 15 acts named Best Artist on the night. The full list, confirmed by Soompi, also included BTS, BLACKPINK, Stray Kids, TREASURE, P1Harmony, CRAVITY, ALLDAY PROJECT, CLOSE YOUR EYES, tripleS, xikers, LUCY, RESCENE, CORTIS, and Young K. DAY6’s Young K was the night’s biggest winner, taking five trophies including the Grand Artist (Daesang), Best Solo (Male), Best OST for “Our Season,” and the fan-voted Most Popular Artist award, while TREASURE won four awards including Grand Song, Best Hip-Hop, and Trend of the Year.
Accepting the award, MEOVV thanked the ceremony’s organizers and the team behind the group. “It feels great to receive such a special award, and we thank everyone involved with the 2026 KGMA,” the members said, according to MBC Entertainment. “We would like to give this honor to TEDDY PD and the producers who lead MEOVV, and everyone at THEBLACKLABEL.” The group also had a message for its fans: “We also want to say thank you so much to our fans. We will become a MEOVV that works hard so we can return even more love.”
The group did more than collect a trophy on the night — it also opened the show. MEOVV kicked off the ARTIST DAY stage with the first-ever live performance of “Indestructible,” a track from the group’s new single, pairing its gentle melody and emotional lyrics with the members’ soft vocals. The group then switched gears with an energetic performance of its title track “GO HARD,” winning over the crowd at the Gocheok Sky Dome.
The win caps a busy comeback stretch for MEOVV. The group released its first single album, “GO HARD,” on October 12, its first new release since June’s second EP “Bite Now.” The comeback was announced on October 1, followed by cover artwork, teaser photos, and individual concept films for each of the five members, building up to the October 12 release at 6 p.m. KST.
The timing of the award is notable for a group still early in its career. MEOVV debuted under THEBLACKLABEL, the agency founded by producer TEDDY, and has been steadily building its profile through a string of releases since its debut. A Best Artist win at a year-end ceremony — alongside established names like BTS, BLACKPINK, and Stray Kids — puts the group firmly in the conversation as one of the year’s standout rookie-era acts, even as it continues to grow its discography.
The KGMA has grown quickly since its launch. Founded by Ilgan Sports in 2024, the ceremony held its first edition in Incheon and moved to Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome for 2026, with fan voting factoring into several categories and a two-day format splitting artist and music honors across the weekend. The 2026 edition’s Artist Day lineup alone featured 20 acts, from veteran performers to that year’s rookie class, underlining how crowded the year-end awards calendar has become.
The KGMA continues with MUSIC DAY on November 8, also at Gocheok Sky Dome and hosted by actor Kim Jae-won and IVE’s Liz, with ATEEZ, RIIZE, KiiiKiii, and ITZY among the acts set to take the stage. MEOVV, meanwhile, has said it plans to stay active with more promotions following the “GO HARD” release, and the group will be looking to turn its KGMA moment into momentum for what comes next.
