Here’s something to perk up K-pop fans on this dreary day: the MAMA Awards will take place in Hong Kong this year! Originally standing for the Mnet Asian Music Awards, this is one of South Korea’s major music award ceremonies that occurs annually.
Korean music acts du jour and thousands of their fans will be filling the Kai Tak Stadium from November 28 to 29. This marks the return of the MAMA Awards to our city after seven years – the ceremony was held in Hong Kong from 2012 to 2017, and the last time they were in town was in 2018, when the event was split into three parts and Hong Kong hosted one of them.
Some of the award categories include Best Male and Female Artist, Best Male and Female Group, Best New Artist, Best Dance Performance, Best Rap Performance, Best Music Video, and more. The four grand prizes, known as daesang, are Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Fans’ Choice of the Year (previously titled Worldwide Icon of the Year). Last year’s ceremony saw Seventeen winning Artist of the Year and their EP Seventeenth Heaven winning Album of the Year, while the Song of the Year went to Aespa’s Supernova, and BTS’ Jimin took home the Fans’ Choice of the Year.
Some of the Korean artists likely to be in the running this year would be Got7, Zerobaseone, Ive, Onew, Kandis, Blackpink’s Jisoo, Jennie, and Lisa, and more – they’ve all released new EPs or albums this year. BTS will also make their much-awaited comeback this year following their mandatory military service, with the last member Suga being discharged on June 21.
Stay tuned for details and ticketing information as we learn more!
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Hong Kong newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox
Recommended stories:
10 Things you might not know about the Dragon Boat Festival
Terminal 2 of Hong Kong International Airport to partially open from September
Lin Heung Tea House opens new 24-hour location in Tsim Sha Tsui