CORTIS may still be a rookie K-pop group, but their name is already appearing next to BTS and BLACKPINK at one of America’s biggest music awards.
The five-member boy group now has three nominations at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards.
So, who is CORTIS — and how did a group that debuted only about a year ago get here so quickly?
What Is CORTIS?
CORTIS is a five-member boy group under BIGHIT MUSIC, the label also known for BTS and TOMORROW X TOGETHER.
The members are Martin, James, Juhoon, Seonghyeon and Keonho.
The group debuted in 2025, making its rise at the 2026 VMAs especially notable.
CORTIS is the most recently debuted act among this year’s Best Group nominees.
Which MTV VMA Awards Is CORTIS Nominated For?
CORTIS is nominated in three categories:
- Best New Artist
- Best K-Pop — “REDRED”
- Best Group
The group initially received two nominations when the main VMA nominees were announced.
Then MTV revealed its Best Group nominees, adding CORTIS to a lineup that includes some very familiar names.
CORTIS will compete in the category alongside BTS, BLACKPINK, KATSEYE, FLO, Fuerza Regida, Geese and Twenty One Pilots.
For a group only about a year into its career, that is an unusual list of competitors.
Why Is the Best Group Nomination a Big Deal?
Best Group has a strong connection to K-pop.
BTS won the award four consecutive times from 2019 through 2022. BLACKPINK won in 2023 and 2025, while SEVENTEEN took the award in 2024.
Now CORTIS has entered the same category.
There is another interesting detail this year: four of the eight Best Group nominees are K-pop or K-pop-connected groups — BTS, BLACKPINK, CORTIS and KATSEYE.
That means half of the category has a connection to the Korean pop industry.
“REDRED” Put CORTIS in the Best K-Pop Race
CORTIS is also competing for Best K-Pop with “REDRED.”
And this is not an easy category.
The nominees include BLACKPINK’s “JUMP,” BTS’s “SWIM,” KATSEYE’s “PINKY UP,” LE SSERAFIM featuring j-hope’s “SPAGHETTI,” and LISA’s “Dream” featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi.
For a rookie group, simply appearing in that lineup gives CORTIS significant international exposure.
When Are the 2026 MTV VMAs?
The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards will be held on September 27 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
Whether CORTIS takes home a trophy or not, three nominations this early in the group’s career have already made them one of the K-pop names worth watching in 2026.
If you had never heard of CORTIS before seeing the VMA nominations, you probably won’t be the only one searching their name this week.