CJ ENM announces 2025 MAMA Awards nominees and confirms Hong Kong return after seven years. Image: CJ ENM.
(The Post News)- Leading entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM has formally announced the 2025 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) nominees, confirming that Asia’s largest K-pop festival will return to Hong Kong in November for the very first time in seven years.
The glitzy two-day MAMA celebration, presented by Visa, will commence on November 28 at Kai Tak Stadium in Kai Tak Sports Park. It is expected to be among the most stunning nights in K-pop, with international celebrities attending.
The theme of this year’s MAMA Awards is “UH-HEUNG,” which is based on the Korean idea of “HEUNG,” a happy and fervent energy that embodies the spirit and inventiveness of Korea. Albums and songs can apply between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025. A team of industry professionals will evaluate the entries and use worldwide music statistics to pick the winners.
Once more, the MAMA awards organizers have made sure that fans have a significant influence on the outcome. To choose the finalists for the “FANS’ CHOICE MALE” and “FANS’ CHOICE FEMALE” categories, the “FANS’ CHOICE” first vote will take place from October 16 (KST) until October 26. On October 30, Mnet Plus and X (previously Twitter) will launch the second voting round and the “VISA FANS’ CHOICE OF THE YEAR” pick.
MAMA has always praised K-pop’s global impact, which reflects both musical innovation and the fervent voices of fans everywhere.
MAMA Awards Nominees:
Best New Artist
AHOF
ALLDAY PROJECT
Baby DONT Cry
CLOSE YOUR EYES
CORTIS
Heart2Hearts
IDID
Izna
KickFlip
KiiiKiii
Best Male Artist
BAEKHYUN
G-DRAGON
J-hope
Jin
MARK
Best Female Artist
JENNIE
JISOO
ROSÉ
TAEYEON
YUQI
Best Male Group
BOYNEXTDOOR
ENHYPEN
RIIZE
SEVENTEEN
Stray Kids
TOMORROW X TOGETHER
ZEROBASEONE
Best Female Group
Aespa
BABYMONSTER
(G)I-DLE
IVE
LE SSERAFIM
TWICE
Best Dance Performance–Male Solo
G-DRAGON: TOO BAD (feat. Anderson .Paak)
J-hope: MONA LISA
KAI: Wait On Me
KEY: HUNTER
MARK: 1999
Best Dance Performance—Female Solo
DAYOUNG: Body
JENNIE: Like JENNIE
JISOO: Earthquake
KARINA (Aespa): UP
MINNIE: HER
Best Dance Performance—Male Group
SEVENTEEN: THUNDER
BOYNEXTDOOR: IF I SAY, I LOVE YOU
NCT DREAM: When I’m With You
NCT WISH: poppop
PLAVE: Dash
RIIZE: Fly Up
TWS: Countdown!
BEST DANCE PERFORMANCE FEMALE GROUP
ILLIT: Cherish (My Love)
aespa: Whiplash
BABYMONSTER: DRIP
BLACKPINK: JUMP
IVE: REBEL HEART
LE SSERAFIM: HOT
BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE SOLO
DOYOUNG: Memory
Roy Kim: If You Ask Me What Love Is
LEE MU JIN: Coming of Age Story
TAEYEON: Letter To Myself
ROSÉ: toxic till the end
BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE GROUP
DAVICHI: Stitching
HIGHLIGHT: Endless Ending
MEOVV: DROP TOP
TREASURE: YELLOW
ZEROBASEONE: Doctor! Doctor!
BEST BAND PERFORMANCE
N.Flying: Everlasting
CNBLUE: A Sleepless Night
DAY6: Maybe Tomorrow
QWE: Dear
Xdinary Heroes: Beautiful Life
BEST RAP & HIP HOP PERFORMANCE
HAON: Skrr (Feat. GISELLE of aespa)
Dynamicduo & GUMMY: Take Care
BIG Naughty: MUSIC (Feat. LEE CHANHYUK)
pH-1: Life Is A Movie (Feat. Jung Zi So)
TABLO & RM: Stop The Rain (TABLO X RM)
BEST COLLABORATION
MARK: Fraktsiya (Feat. Lee Young Ji)
JENNIE & Doechii: ExtraL (Feat. Doechii)
G-DRAGON: TOO BAD (feat. Anderson .Paak)
ROSÉ, Bruno Mars: APT.
V & Park Hyo Shin: Winter Ahead (With Park Hyo Shin)
BEST OST
Park Hyo Shin: HERO (From the Film “Firefighters”) (Firefighters OST)
TOMORROW X TOGETHER: When the Day Comes (Resident Playbook OST)
BOYNEXTDOOR: Never Loved This Way Before (Odd Girl Out OST)
HUNTR/X: Golden (Netflix – K-Pop Demon Hunters OST)
Saja Boys: Soda Pop (Netflix – K-Pop Demon Hunters OST)
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
LEE CHANHYUK: Vivid LaLa Love
JENNIE: ZEN
aespa: Dirty Work
ALLDAY PROJECT: FAMOUS
BLACKPINK: JUMP
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
JENNIE: like JENNIE
aespa: Whiplash
ALLDAY PROJECT: WICKED
CORTIS: GO!
G-DRAGON: TOO BAD (feat. Anderson .Paak)
The 2025 MAMA AWARDS are expected to be a huge celebration of K-pop’s domination in the world, with heavyweight acts like BLACKPINK, SEVENTEEN, G-DRAGON, JENNIE, and ROSÉ dominating the nominees.
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