Before "Tabola Bale," the last Indonesian song to reach the Music Awards Japan final was Bernadya's "Satu Bulan" in 2025. She lost to aespa. Now, a track built on the sound of Nusa Tenggara Timur — gongs, breezy coastal melodies, lyrics rooted in Eastern Indonesian identity — is taking another shot at that Tokyo stage.

The song is a collaboration between Silet Open Up, Juan Reza, Diva Aurel, and Jacson Zeran, and it was released on April 3, 2025. What followed was one of the most unexpected viral streaks in recent Indonesian music history.

What Is Music Awards Japan 2026 ?

Music Awards Japan is an awards show organized by Japan's music industry to recognize talent from Asia, Japan, and Western regions. It is run by the Japan Culture and Entertainment Industry Promotion Association (CEIPA) in partnership with Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).

Nominations are determined using metrics from Billboard Japan, Oricon, GfK Japan, Luminate, and others. An automated system identifies eligible works, then a panel from Japan's music industry selects five finalists per category. Winners are chosen by an international jury of 5,000 music professionals. 

The full event runs from June 5, 2026, with the main award night on June 13 at Toyota Arena Tokyo, broadcast live on NHK and YouTube. 

Who Is "Tabola Bale" Up Against?

This is where it gets real. In the Best Song Asia category, "Tabola Bale" competes against PLAVE's "Dash," WOODZ's "Drowning," HUNTR/X's "Golden" — the Oscar-winning track — and Cup of Joe's "Multo" from the Philippines. It's essentially one regional folk-influenced pop song from Flores going up against the K-pop machine and a Grammy circuit crossover hit.

The fact that it made the shortlist at all says something. Three Indonesian songs initially passed the screening phase — "Nina" by .Feast, "Mangu" by Fourtwnty ft. Charita Utami, and "Tabola Bale" — but only one made it to the final nominations. 

Why This Nomination Matters Beyond the Trophy

"Tabola Bale" didn't get here on luck. It previously swept three AMI Awards 2025 trophies — for Pop Songwriter, Best Collaboration, and Best Regional Language Song. Those wins were for Indonesian audiences. Music Awards Japan is a different playing field: 5,000 international industry voters, data-driven metrics, and competition from some of Asia's biggest acts.

Silet Open Up becomes just the second Indonesian artist to reach this stage since the awards launched in 2025. The first was Bernadya. What's different this time is the song's DNA — it doesn't try to sound global. The bamboo-inflected rhythm and the Timorese warmth in Diva Aurel's voice are unmistakably local, and that's exactly why it travels. Public support still counts: fans can help "Tabola Bale" win by streaming it on Spotify and participating in the official voting mechanism ahead of June 13.