Sakanaction Wins 8 Awards at MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2026, Red Carpet and Celebration Photos Released

On Saturday, June 13, 2026, the grand ceremony of “MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2026 (MAJ)”—the largest international music award in Japan that aims to showcase the country’s music scene to the world—was held at TOYOTA ARENA TOKYO. The event honored artists and works that made remarkable achievements at home and abroad over the past year, drawing attention from industry insiders and music fans alike.

A total of 78 category awards were presented this year. Among them, Sakanaction won eight awards, including the “Best Song Award” from the eight major categories, as well as the “Best Anime Song Award” and the “Best Rock Song Award.” The band’s unique sound and powerful live performances were highly praised, cementing their position as a representative act of Japan’s music scene.

Glamorous Red Carpet Gathers Artists from Japan and Abroad

During the red carpet event held between award presentations, famous artists from Japan and overseas appeared in stylish attire, smiling and waving to the media and cheering fans. All members of Sakanaction walked the carpet together, greeted by enthusiastic shouts, waving to cameras, and expressing their determination for the stage with strong gazes. In the subsequent photo session, the calm smiles and resolute expressions of the members left a strong impression.

After the ceremony, we spoke with the members.

Sakanaction: “Shine Light on Those Who Support Live Performances. Fight the World with a Real Stage.”

— Please tell us your honest thoughts on winning this wonderful award (Best Song Award).

Yamaguchi Ichiro: First of all, I’m genuinely happy. It’s really encouraging that music industry professionals selected our song through strict judging. It gave us confidence.

— MAJ has reached its second year and has scaled up as an international music award that transmits from Japan to the world. As an artist, what are your feelings about participating in this award?

Yamaguchi Ichiro: I felt that the live section category, newly established this year, is very significant for us. The people involved in our live shows—the PA engineers, lighting staff—are being recognized, which will motivate everyone to create better sound and production for our performances. I think that will ultimately benefit the audience and everyone involved. So I think it’s wonderful that such an award was created. Bands with “great live performances” should compete on the world stage, so I felt very encouraged and happy.

“MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2026” is a celebration of the passion and effort of people who love music. In the moment when the latest sounds rang out, and the lights and cheers on stage became one, a “sound leading to the world” was indeed born in the venue. The words of the artists and the lingering atmosphere of the stage on this night will surely become a force for Japanese music to step into a new world. The ruby-red trophy seemed to shine a light on the future of music itself.

— Maruta Kayoko