CASENITY.com – The countdown to the 2026 Asia Artist Awards (AAA) has entered an exciting phase as the event officially launches its popularity voting campaign. Unlike categories decided solely by industry evaluations, this particular award will be determined entirely by fans, giving global K-pop and K-drama supporters a direct role in choosing the winners.

The 2026 edition of AAA is scheduled to take place over December 5 and 6 at Kaohsiung National Stadium in Taiwan. Ahead of the main ceremony, fans can begin supporting their favorite stars through a multi-stage voting process that started on September 4.

This year's popularity competition is divided into six categories: male actors, female actors, male group singers, female group singers, male solo singers, and female solo singers. The extensive candidate list includes some of the biggest names currently active in Korean entertainment and music.

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The opening stage is being conducted through the Starpoll application. Fans have one week, from September 4 at 3:01 p.m. until September 11 at 3 p.m., to participate. The 40 candidates receiving the most accumulated votes in each category will then move forward to the preliminary stage.

The next round will be hosted through the Idolchamp application from September 16 through October 6. Competition becomes considerably tighter at this point, as only 20 candidates in each category will qualify for the final voting stage. The preliminary results will also carry a 30 percent weighting toward the eventual outcome.

The decisive voting period is scheduled from October 8 to November 4. Seventy percent of the final result will come from this round, while the remaining 30 percent will be based on the preliminary voting. The top-ranked star or group in every category will receive the AAA 2026 Popularity Award.

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The nominees include major entertainment figures such as Park Bo-gum, Cha Eun-woo, Kim Soo-hyun, Kim Ji-won, IU, Suzy, BLACKPINK, TWICE, BTS, Stray Kids, ENHYPEN, SEVENTEEN, IVE, aespa, and many other prominent artists. Their presence ensures that the fan competition will be particularly intense across both acting and music categories.

The ceremony itself will also feature a notable hosting lineup. Jang Wonyoung is returning as an MC for the sixth consecutive year, while Ji Chang-wook and Sung Han-bin will join her. Organizers are expected to reveal another presenter at a later date.

With the voting process now underway and the main ceremony only a few months away, AAA 2026 is set to become another major gathering of stars from the Korean entertainment industry. The results will ultimately depend on the enthusiasm and participation of fans around the world.

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