MAMA Awards to make landmark U.S. debut next month

The 2024 MAMA Awards, one of K-pop’s most prestigious year-end music events, is set to make its U.S. debut in Los Angeles next month, marking the first time in its 25-year history that it will be held outside Asia.

The three-day, cross-continental event begins Nov. 21 (U.S. time) at the iconic Dolby Theatre and will continue on Nov. 22-23 (Korean time) at the Kyocera Dome Osaka in Japan, organizers announced Tuesday.

Initially launched in 1999 as the Mnet Video Music Awards by South Korean cable channel Mnet, the awards show was rebranded as the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) in 2009 and simplified to the MAMA Awards in 2022.

The event has previously graced cities like Seoul, Macau, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Japan, cementing its status as a prominent platform for K-pop’s international showcase.

This year’s theme, “Big Blur: What is Real?” reflects CJ ENM’s vision to merge art, technology and global fandom, blending the surreal with reality.

The unique relay format will see the ceremony start in Los Angeles and continue in Japan, with just a two-hour interval between the end of the U.S. event and Japan’s red-carpet launch.

“In a time when boundaries between virtual and real, online and offline, are increasingly indistinct, MAMA aims to introduce its own new thing to the global audience,” Yoon Shin-hye, CJ ENM’s chief producer, said at a press event held at the company headquarters in Seoul for the upcoming show.

Yoon also emphasized the significance of the U.S. market, the world’s largest music industry, to MAMA’s global expansion. “For the past 25 years, MAMA has been a pioneer, embracing new initiatives and challenges. Expanding into the U.S. feels like our mission, as we’ve built a unique system and expertise through years of trials and successes,” she said.

The U.S. lineup includes rookie K-pop groups like ILLIT, Katseye, TWS and Young Posse, alongside established acts like boy group Riize, JYP Entertainment’s J.Y. Park and American artist Anderson .Paak.

The “MAMA Awards Japan” lineup is equally star-studded, featuring Boynextdoor, Enhypen, Ive, Lee Young Ji, ME:I, Plave, TREASURE and Tomorrow X Together on the first day. Day two will showcase aespa, BIBI, G-Dragon, (G)I-dle, Meovv, Zerobaseone and Japanese group INI.

New girl group izna and top boy group Seventeen also joined the lineup for Japan shows.

Hosting the U.S. event for the third consecutive year will be actor Park Bo-gum, while actress Kim Tae-ri will preside over Japan’s second-day show. The first-day artists in Japan will host in a relay format, adding a dynamic twist to the event.

In a groundbreaking move, the Japan shows will feature performances that merge reality with virtual technology. Highlights include a collaboration between virtual group Plave and rapper Lee Young Ji and a high-tech performance by aespa.

Perhaps the most anticipated performance is from BIGBANG’s G-Dragon, who will make his long-awaited comeback after a seven-year hiatus.

“G-Dragon has delivered some of MAMA’s most memorable performances,” Yoon said. “With his planned comeback, we couldn’t help but consider inviting him. We are confident he will create another performance that will be talked about 10 to 20 years from now.”

G-Dragon himself, she added, is equally confident in making his mark once again on the MAMA stage.