CORTIS Makes TMA History With Rookie and Daesang Same Night

Chosunbiz reports CORTIS became the first act in The Fact Music Awards history to win a rookie award and a grand prize at the same ceremony.

According to Chosunbiz, CORTIS (Martin, James, Juhun, Sunghyun, Geonho) won three trophies in total at the 2026 The Fact Music Awards on September 19 at Busan Asiad Main Stadium: the rookie award "Next Leader," a main "Artist of the Year" honor, and one of the ceremony's grand prizes, "Record of the Year." Chosunbiz notes CORTIS is the first team since TMA's launch to win both a rookie award and a grand prize at the same time. Gulf News adds that the Next Leader honor was shared with ALPHA DRIVE ONE, and that TMA's four Daesangs that night went to ATEEZ (Icon of the Year), NMIXX (Sound of the Year), RIIZE (Muse of the Year), and CORTIS (Record of the Year).

The surprise is the company CORTIS is keeping barely a year into its career. Latin Times reports that the group's second EP "GreenGreen" has sold more than 4.1 million copies since its May release, per Circle Chart data for the week of September 6-12 first reported by The Korea Times, making it only the second South Korean release of 2026 to cross four million — the other being BTS' studio album "Arirang." Latin Times also counts roughly 2.3 million copies sold in "GreenGreen"'s opening week per Hanteo Chart, and combined sales above 6.4 million across the group's two EPs in just over thirteen months since debut. Gulf News frames the same night as one where four separate Daesangs were handed out, with CORTIS the only rookie-named act among them.

Chosunbiz describes CORTIS's Busan stage as proof the trophies were earned live, saying the group dominated with the raw energy befitting a 'young creator crew,' performing mini album 2 track "TNT" and title track "REDRED" with synchronized group choreography it says left no gaps among the five members. According to Chosunbiz, the audience erupted at the intro and answered "REDRED" with a powerful singalong. On the podium, the members thanked their fandom COER, saying, per Chosunbiz's translation, "Thanks to COER, who always sends us so much love and strength by our side, we are able to pursue our dreams," and cited this year's mini album 2 "GREENGREEN" as the source of a wider world.

The TMA double extends a run the pack's outlets trace across the year. Chosunbiz reports that at the KMA (KM Chart Awards) 2026 in July, CORTIS won a "Record of the Year" grand prize plus the main "Ultimate 12" award, and notes the group is nominated in three categories at the 2026 MTV VMAs — Best Group, Best New Artist and Best K-Pop — as the most recently debuted act among nominees. Latin Times adds that CORTIS closed 2025 by sharing the Best New Artist award with Hearts2Hearts at the MAMA Awards in Hong Kong, per Hanteo News, and that "GreenGreen" entered the Billboard 200 at No. 3 and has now logged 18 straight weeks on the chart, per Latin Times' account of the chart dated September 19.

The schedule ahead is packed, per the pack. Latin Times reports CORTIS wrapped its first headlining tour across South Korea, North America and Japan — with the North American "Put Your Phone Down" leg selling out all seven shows across six cities within minutes, according to BroadwayWorld — and is booked to appear during Singapore's Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend this October, per IBTimes Singapore. Latin Times also says a TV special covering the Japanese tour leg airs October 31, and that BigHit Music plans additional legal steps after a July break-in at the members' shared residence. Having turned the newcomer label into an understatement, Chosunbiz writes, attention now turns to what record CORTIS adds next.