2023 MAMA Awards | Who has been nominated and what is K-Pop's number one awards ceremony?

The world’s number 1 K-Pop awards show, the MAMAs (formerly the Mnet Asian Music Awards) is upon us - taking place this year at Tokyo’s hallowed Tokyo Dome across two nights with public voting already open through the award’s official website for the Worldwide Fan’s choice category. The first round of voting for the Worldwide Fans’ Choice category today as the top 20 artists from that vote go on to the second round, which kicks off on November 6 at 11:59PM KST

The theme for the 2023 ceremony is "One I Born" carrying the meaning of "'I' and 'MAMA', the only beings in the world with infinite possibilities, meeting and becoming a perfect 'One' through positive energy - a nod to the positivities that K-Pop at the best of time exudes to listeners, only emphasising the genre’s popularity

There are some familiar names for Western K-Pop fans in this year's lineup, with the likes of BTS' Jungkook and Jimin, SEVENTEEN, BLACKPINK's Jisoo and TOMORROW X TOGETHER, garnering four nominations across different categories. They are joined as the most nominated acts with perhaps some lesser-known entities for casual fans including (G)I-DLE and IVE, while NewJeans and NCT Dream have also received multiple nominations.

Judging for the MAMAs is based on evaluations by the judging panel, as well as data from song downloads, streams, and physical album sales. In 2022, BTS earned the inaugural MAMA Platinum award which will be given to artists who've won all 4 daesangs (Grand Prizes), with the group so far being the only recipients of the award by virtue of winning all of the four daesangs in the previous 3 editions of the event.

What are the MAMAs?

The Mnet Asian Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by CJ E&M's music channel Mnet. The event was first held in 1999 under the name "Mnet Music Video Daesang." Over the years, it has grown into a prestigious ceremony that recognizes outstanding achievements in the music industry, not only in South Korea but also across Asia.

MAMA has gained international recognition, attracting attention from music enthusiasts and industry professionals worldwide. It serves as a platform for celebrating the achievements of both established and emerging artists in the Asian music scene. The awards cover various categories, including best artist, album of the year, song of the year, and more, and they often feature spectacular performances by popular K-Pop acts.

The ceremony typically includes special stages, collaborations, and exciting performances by some of the most prominent names in the K-Pop industry. MAMA has become an event that showcases the vibrant and dynamic culture of K-Pop and its influence on the global music landscape.

What is Mnet?

Mnet is a South Korean pay television music channel owned by CJ E&M, a division of CJ Group. It is known for its focus on music programming, including music videos, live performances, and various music-related shows. Mnet has played a significant role in the development and popularization of K-pop, contributing to the rise of many K-pop artists and groups both domestically and internationally.

Mnet has also been associated with producing various music-related television shows and competitions, including ‘Produce 101,’ ‘Show Me the Money’ and ‘Unpretty Rapstar,’ which have helped foster new talent and promote the Korean music industry. In addition to its music-related content, Mnet has also produced a range of other entertainment programs, reality shows, and dramas, making it one of the leading entertainment channels in South Korea.

The list of nominees for the 2023 Mnet Asia Music Awards

Best New Male Artist

• BOYNEXTDOOR
• EVNNE
• RIIZE
• xikers
• ZEROBASEONE

Best New Female Artist

• ADYA
• EL7Z UP
• KISS OF LIFE
• LIMELIGHT
• tripleS

Best Male Group

• EXO
• NCT Dream
• SEVENTEEN
• Stray Kids
• TREASURE
• TXT

Best Female Group

• aespa
• (G)I-DLE
• IVE
• LE SSERAFIM
• NewJeans
• TWICE

Best Male Artist

• Jimin
• Jungkook
• Lim Young-woong
• Parc Jae-jung
• Taeyang
• V

Best Female Artist

• Choi Ye-na
• Hwasa
• Jeon Somi
• Jihyo
• Jisoo
• Lee Chae-yeon

Best Dance Performance Male Solo

• Jimin – ‘Like Crazy’
• Jungkook – ‘Seven (Feat. Latto)’
• Kai – ‘Rover’
• Taeyang – ‘VIBE (Feat. Jimin)’
• Taeyong – ‘SHALALA’

Best Dance Performance Female Solo

• Hwasa – ‘I Love My Body’
• Jeon Somi – ‘Fast Forward’
• Jihyo – ‘Killin’ Me Good’
• Jisoo – ‘Flower’
• Lee Chae-yeon – ‘Knock’

Best Dance Performance Male Group

• NCT 127 – ‘Ay-Yo’
• NCT Dream – ‘Candy’
• SEVENTEEN – ‘Super’
• Stray Kids – ‘S-Class’
• TXT – ‘Sugar Rush Ride’
• ZEROBASEONE – ‘In Bloom’

Best Dance Performance Female Group

• aespa – ‘Spicy’
• (G)I-DLE – ‘Queencard’
• IVE – ‘I Am’
• LE SSERAFIM – ‘Unforgiven (Feat. Nile Rodgers)’
• NewJeans – ‘Ditto’
• STAYC – ‘Teddy Bear’

Best Vocal Performance Solo

• DAWN – ‘Dear My Light’
• Lee Mujin – ‘Ordinary Confession’
• Lim Young-woong – ‘London Boy’
• Parc Jae-jung – ‘Let’s Say Goodbye’
• V – ‘Love Me Again’

Best Vocal Performance Group

• AKMU – ‘Love Lee’
• BTOB – ‘Wind And Wish’
• BTS – ‘Take Two’
• M.C the MAX – ‘Eternity’
• MeloMance – ‘A Shining Day’

Best Rap & Hip Hop Performance

• Suga – ‘People Pt.2 (Feat. IU)’
• ASH ISLAND – ‘Goodbye (Feat. Paul Blanco)’
• J-Hope – ‘On the Street (with J.Cole)’
• Jay Park – ‘Candy (Feat. Zion.T)’
• Zior Park – ‘CHRISTIAN’

Best Collaboration

• Anne-Marie and Minnie – ‘Expectations’
• BIG Naughty and Lee Su-hyun – ‘Hopeless Romantic’
• BSS and Lee Young-ji – ‘Fighting’
• Jungkook and Latto – ‘Seven’
• Taeyang and Jimin – ‘Vibe’

Best OST

• BIG Naughty – ‘With Me’
• BTS – ‘The Planet”
• Lim Jae-hyun – ‘Heaven’
• Paul Kim – ‘You Remember’
• TXT – ‘Goodbye Now’

Best Music Video

• (G)I-DLE – ‘Queencard’
• IVE – ‘AM’
• Jisoo – ‘Flower’
• Jungkook – ‘Seven (Feat. Latto)’
• SEVENTEEN – ‘Super’
• Stray Kids – ‘S-Class’

Worldwide Fans’ Choice

• aespa
• AKMU
• ATEEZ
• BOYNEXTDOOR
• BTOB
• BTS
• CIX
• CRAVITY
• ENHYPEN
• EVNNE
• EXO
• fromis_9
• (G)I-DLE
• H1-KEY
• Highlight
• ITZY
• IVE
• Jisoo
• Jeon Somi
• Kep1er
• LE SSERAFIM
• Lee Chae-yeon
• Lee Mujin
• Lim Youngwoong

• MONSTA X
• n.SSign
• NCT 127
• NCT DREAM
• NewJeans
• NMIXX
• ONEUS
• P1Harmony
• Parc Jae-jung
• Red Velvet
• RIIZE
• SEVENTEEN
• SHINee
• STAYC
• Stray Kids
• Super Junior
• Taeyang
• TEMPEST
• THE BOYZ
• TXT
• TREASURE
• TWICE
• Xdinary Heroes
• xikers
• ZEROBASEONE
• Zior Park

All nominees in song categories are also automatically nominated for Song of the Year and Artist of the Year.

When do the 2023 MAMAs take place?

The 2023 MAMAs take place at the Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan on November 28 and November 29 2023.