MAMA Awards announces 2026 nominees, opens Fans’ Choice voting
MAMA Awards 2026 Nominations Unveiled as Global K-Pop Stars and Rising Acts Clash in Osaka
Source: Soompi · October 12, 2026 at 3:32 PM · AI-assisted report
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KYOCERA DOME OSAKA, JAPAN, 12 OCTOBER 2026 —
MAMA Awards 2026 Nominations Unveiled as Global K-Pop Stars and Rising Acts Clash in Osaka
Market Impact
The MAMA Awards 2026 has announced its nominations on October 12, setting the stage for a high-stakes competition between K-pop’s biggest names—including BTS, BLACKPINK, and Stray Kids—and emerging acts like CORTIS and ALPHA DRIVE ONE. The ceremony, scheduled for November 21–22 at Kyocera Dome Osaka, will feature live global streaming via Mnet Plus, with Fans’ Choice voting already underway.
The nominations reflect a mix of established superstars and fresh talent, with eligibility requiring releases between October 1, 2025, and September 30, 2026. Fans’ Choice voting for the Male and Female categories runs in two phases: the first round closes October 22 at 11:59 p.m. KST, with the top 20 artists from each category advancing to the second round, which runs from October 28 to November 18.
In the Best Male Artist category, D.O. (EXO), Yeonjun (TXT), Taeyang (BIGBANG), Taeyong (NCT), and Young K (DAY6) are nominated. The Best Female Artist race includes Soyeon (I-DLE), Irene and Taeyeon (Red Velvet), and MAMAMOO’s Hwasa and Yena. The Best Male Group lineup features BTS, TXT, ATEEZ, BIGBANG, CORTIS, ENHYPEN, NCT WISH, and Stray Kids, while Best Female Group nominees span ILLIT, aespa, BABYMONSTER, BLACKPINK, Hearts2Hearts, IVE, LE SSERAFIM, and NMIXX.
The Album of the Year category is particularly competitive, with nominees including BTS’s ARIRANG, TXT’s 7TH YEAR: A Moment of Stillness in the Thorns, aespa’s Lemonade, BLACKPINK’s DEADLINE, Stray Kids’ THIS & THAT, and albums from rising acts like CORTIS (GREENGREEN) and ALPHA DRIVE ONE (EUPHORIA). Additional categories cover rap, hip-hop, collaborations, original soundtracks, music videos, and live performances.
The ceremony, organized by CJ ENM’s Mnet and presented by Visa, will span two days with global broadcasts. The MAMA FAN FESTA, an expanded fan engagement event, runs from November 9–21, offering both online and in-person experiences in Osaka. First launched in 1999 as Korea’s first music video awards, the MAMA Awards has evolved into an international platform celebrating K-pop’s global influence.
Fans’ Choice voting for the 2026 MAMA Awards is already live on Mnet Plus and X, with the first round concluding October 22. The final winners will be announced during the live event in Osaka.