It’s MAMA season again!
The 2025 MAMA Awards is roaring to life with its fiercest lineup yet, bringing together a powerhouse lineup of nominees and performers for a two-day spectacle in Hong Kong.
This year marks the first time since 2018 that the prestigious awards show will return to Hong Kong at the Kai Tak Stadium on November 28 and 29, coinciding with Mnet’s 30th anniversary.
Themed “Hear My Roar: Uh-Heung,” the event draws inspiration from the sound of a tiger, symbolizing Korea’s strength and passion, with CJ ENM defining it as “the distinctly Korean spirit of fun and excitement that has captivated global audiences,” as quoted by Forbes.
“As this is Mnet’s 30th anniversary, we are returning to Hong Kong, which has hosted the most MAMA Awards in the past and continues to be a major hub for the K-pop concert market,” the organizers shared, as quoted by Soompi.
Shin Hyung Kwan, head of CJ ENM’s Music Content Division, added, “We will highlight artists and industry professionals who showcased outstanding achievements while leading this year’s K-pop trends. We aim to deliver iconic moments that showcase K-pop’s global competitiveness and creative stage direction unique to the MAMA Awards.”
The first wave of performers, announced on October 16, includes popular K-pop acts Stray Kids, IVE, and ENHYPEN, alongside rising stars KickFlip, ALLDAY PROJECT, Hearts2Hearts, and CORTIS.
Also joining the stage is ALPHA DRIVE ONE, the rookie boy group formed in September through the survival show Boys Planet II. The group is set to perform ahead of their official 2026 debut.
The second wave of artists, revealed on October 20, promises exciting performances from G-Dragon, Tomorrow X Together (TXT), (G)I-DLE, aespa, Hong Kong’s MIRROR, and Japan’s JO1 and Kyoka.
The awards will recognize musical releases between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025 and with fans once again playing a crucial role in determining the winners through the Mnet Plus and X voting platforms.
In the “Best New Artist” category are rising groups AHOF, ALLDAY PROJECT, Hearts2Hearts, KickFlip, and CORTIS, leading a strong year for rookie talent.
Global K-pop icons dominate the solo artist categories, with Baekhyun, G-Dragon, j-hope, Jin, and Mark nominated for “Best Male Artist”, while “Best Female Artist” features Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé, Taeyeon, and Yuqi.
For “Best Group”, powerhouse acts Stray Kids, SEVENTEEN, ENHYPEN, TXT, IVE, LE SSERAFIM, aespa, TWICE, and (G)I-DLE earned nods across male and female group categories.
Dance, vocal, and performance categories feature a range of contenders, including G-Dragon’s “TOO BAD”, Jennie’s “like JENNIE”, aespa’s “Whiplash”, and LE SSERAFIM’s “HOT.” Collaboration standouts such as Rosé and Bruno Mars’ “APT.”, Jennie and Doechii’s “ExtraL”, and V’s “Winter Ahead” also received recognition.
Varying artists Taeyeon, Rosé, Doyoung, and Davichi headline the Vocal Performance and OST categories, while CNBLUE, DAY6, and Xdinary Heroes battle it out for “Best Band Performance”.
In the “Album of the Year” race, million-selling releases from aespa, G-Dragon, IVE, SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, and TXT lead the roster.
Finally, for Fans’ Choice categories, global favorites such as ATEEZ, ZEROBASEONE, BOYNEXTDOOR, BABYMONSTER, BLACKPINK, IVE, LE SSERAFIM, TWICE, and aespa are among the most anticipated contenders, with voting now open on Mnet Plus.
The first round of voting for the Fans’ Choice categories runs until October 26, while the second round will take place from October 30 to November 10.
