The 2026 MAMA Awards Nominations were made public on October 12, gathering some of the most important names in the world of K-pop in various award categories. Some of the nominated artists include BTS, BLACKPINK, and SEVENTEEN as well as aespa, IVE, Stray Kids, and other popular artists. The awards will be handed out in the Kyocera Dome Osaka in Osaka, Japan, on November 20 and 21.
The MAMA Awards for 2026 will be available to stream live throughout the world via Mnet Plus. Initiated in 1999 by CJ ENM’s music network Mnet, which is also the first music video award ceremony in Korea, the ceremony was rebranded as MAMA Awards in 2009 from its former name Mnet Asian Music Awards. The MAMA Awards are based on the concept that “Music Makes ONE” and are continuously growing internationally, having ceremonies conducted in several places such as Macao, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Japan, and the United States.
In 2026, those albums and singles which are released from October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026, will be considered. The selection of winners will be done on the basis of jury assessment, statistical data of music both domestically and internationally, as well as on the basis of sales and fan voting.
2026 MAMA Awards Voting and Judging Criteria
For the 2026 MAMA Awards, there will be a unique combination of evaluation processes for the grand prizes and individual awards. Criteria for evaluation include a professional evaluation process and musical performance and, in some of the categories, participation from fans.
Grand Prize Category (Daesang)
Artist of the Year with VISA: Professional evaluation makes up for 40%, 30% is made up by the downloads and streaming of the song (15% domestic and 15% global), while 30% is for the sales of the album.
Song of the Year with VISA: Professional evaluation makes up for 40%, while downloads and streaming of the song accounts for 60% (30% domestic and 30% global).
Album of the Year with VISA: Professional evaluation makes up for 40%, while album sales make up the other 60%.
Fans’ Choice of the Year with VISA: Voting on Mnet Plus will make up 90%, while social media voting makes up 10%. In addition, there is another Mnet Plus live vote accounting for 10%.
Other Award Categories
Award Categories by Artist: Jury review will contribute 40%, song downloads and streams will contribute 30% (15% domestic and 15% international), while album sales will contribute 30%.
Male/Female Fans’ Choice Awards: The first round is based on Mnet Plus voting, which will contribute 90% and social media voting, which will contribute 10%.
Award Categories by Genre: Jury review will contribute 50%, while song downloads and streams will contribute the remaining 50% equally divided between domestic and international performances.
Top 10 Best Songs: Song downloads and streams will contribute 100% to the award, where domestic and international figures each will contribute 50%.
Music Video with YouTube Award: Jury review will contribute 100%.
Best Choreography Award: Jury review will contribute 100%.
How to Vote for the 2026 MAMA Awards Fans’ Choice Male/Female Categories
For the participation in the Fans’ Choice Male and Female categories, fans are able to vote via Mnet Plus and X. To cast a vote via X, it is necessary to make a post with the official hashtag #2026MAMAVOTE together with the artist’s official voting hashtag. The artist’s official hashtag can be found in the voting page of the Mnet Plus app.
Each account is allowed to cast one vote a day via X during the first voting stage based on Korea Standard Time (KST). Only those accounts that have public profiles on X are allowed to vote. Each fan needs to choose either the Male or Female category and vote for only one nominee per post. In case when there are several voting posts made in one day, then only the first one will count. Reposting of any other account’s voting post will be considered, but posts with the hashtags for several artists won’t.
For the Mnet Plus channel, there is an option to vote once a day with one ID and one computer. The process permits votes for at least one and up to three teams in each of the Male and Female sections. There must be a vote in both categories, and there cannot be any repeated votes for the same artist. Any vote that comes through abnormal access will be disregarded.
2026 MAMA Awards Nominations Revealed
Here is the list of nominees for the 2026 MAMA Awards across the categories provided
Best Male Artist
D.O
Yeonjun (TOMORROW X TOGETHER)
Taeyang (BIGBANG)
Taeyong (NCT 127)
Young K (DAY6)
Best Female Artist
Soyeon (i-dle)
Irene (Red Velvet)
Hwasa
Taeyeon
Yena
Best New Artist
EVAN
HIIPE Princess
ALPHA DRIVE ONE
HRTZ.WAV
LNGSHOT
MODYSSEY
OURBIRTHDAY
TUIDE
UNCHILD
AND2BLE
Best Male Group
BTS
TOMORROW X TOGETHER (TXT)
ATEEZ
BIGBANG
CORTIS
ENHYPEN
NCT WISH
Stray Kids
Best Female Group
ILLIT
aespa
BABYMONSTER
BLACKPINK
Hearts2Hearts
IVE
LE SSERAFIM
NMIXX
Best Vocal Performance Solo
No Words Can Say by Roy Kim
Good Goodbye by Hwasa
Unknown Planet by IU
Less than a Lover by Jennie
CINEMA by WOODZ
Best Vocal Performance Group
SWIM by BTS
Paradise of Rumors by AKMU
TIME CAPSULE by Davichi
Blue by DxS (SEVENTEEN)
4 Flowers by MAMAMOO
Best Rap & Hip Hop Performance
DUET by Zico and Lilas
Nostalgia by BIG Naughty
Yarrr by HAON
KOLOK COLOK by NOWIMYOUNG
IF I by TREASURE
Best Collaboration
SPAGHETTI (Feat. j-hope) by LE SSERAFIM
WDA (Whole Different Animal) (Feat. G-Dragon) by aespa
FLIRTY by Dayoung X Jay Park
ICONIC BY MISTAKE by LE SSERAFIM, ILLIT, and KATSEYE
Always by Parc Jae Jung and Sullyoon (NMIXX)
Best OST
My Flavor by Migak Boys (The Legend of Kitchen Soldier)
Love Language by MeloMance’s Kim Min-seok (Can This Love Be Translated?)
Anytime anyhow by Sung Si Kyung (Surely Tomorrow)
A Day by Suzy (EXchange 4 )
Season of Us by DAY6’s Young K (My Royal Nemesis)
Best Music Video with YouTube
2.0 by BTS
BiiiG by BIGBANG
Good Goodbye by Hwasa
Mono (Feat. skaiwater) by i-dle
DDI RO RI by MEOVV
Best Band Performance
Voyager by Xdinary Heroes
BIG VOID by Silica Gel
Just Kids by JANNABI
All Ages by LUCY
CEREMONY by QWER
Best Choreography
REDRED by CORTIS
BAD by ATEEZ
It’s Me by ILLIT
BANG BANG by IVE
Catch Catch by Yena
Best Dance Performance Male Solo
Ice Cream by Yeonjun
TOUGH LOVE by Onew
FLOAT by Taemin
LIVE FAST DIE SLOW by Taeyang
WYLD by Taeyong
Best Dance Performance Female Solo
BUMPA by BIBI
What’s a girl to do by Dayoung
I’m gonna TOESA by Soyeon
Catch Catch by Yena
Ice Cream by Yuna (ITZY)
Best Dance Performance Male Group
Hollywood Action by BOYNEXTDOOR
REDRED by CORTIS
BAD by ATEEZ
BiiiG by BIGBANG
Do your dance by RIIZE
This & That by Stray Kids
OVERDRIVE by TWS
TOP 5 by ZEROBASEONE
Best Dance Performance Female Group
SPAGHETTI (Feat. j-hope) by LE SSERAFIM
LEMONADE by aespa
RUDE! by Hearts2Hearts
Suddenly by I.O.I
It’s Me by ILLIT
BANG BANG by IVE
404 (New Era) by KiiiKiii
Blue Valentine by NMIXX
Album of the Year with VISA Nominees
The Album of the Year category features 18 releases from established K-pop acts and newer groups. The nominees are:
Mark on Me by &TEAM
ARIRANG by BTS
7TH YEAR: A Moment of Stillness in the Thorns by TOMORROW X TOGETHER
LEMONADE by aespa
EUPHORIA by ALPHA DRIVE ONE
GOLDEN HOUR: Part.5 by ATEEZ
DEADLINE by BLACKPINK
The Action by BOYNEXTDOOR
GREENGREEN by CORTIS
THE SIN: VANISH by ENHYPEN
REVERXE by EXO
REVIVE+ by IVE
Beat It Up by NCT DREAM
Ode to Love by NCT WISH
Caligo Pt.2 by PLAVE
II by RIIZE
THIS & THAT by Stray Kids
NO TRAGEDY by TWS
2026 MAMA Fans’ Choice Male Nominees
BTS
Stray Kids
SEVENTEEN
BIGBANG
ENHYPEN
TXT
EXO
ATEEZ
NCT DREAM
SHINee
Super Junior
NCT 127
DAY6
RIIZE
BOYNEXTDOOR
TREASURE
TWS
PLAVE
CNBLUE
Zico
Jay Park
WOODZ
NCT WISH
&TEAM
ZEROBASEONE
CRAVITY
B1A4
KickFlip
CORTIS
XLOV
EVNNE
NEXZ
82MAJOR
CLOSE YOUR EYES
XODIAC
8TURN
NouerA
NEXZ
LNGSHOT
Hui
Park Ji Hoon
JANNABI
AxMxP
EVAN
XLOV
NEXZ
IDID
AEN
AHOF
AND2BLE
FLARE U
hrtz.wav
2026 MAMA Fans’ Choice Female Nominees
The 2026 MAMA Awards will gather artists and fans in the city of Osaka for two days of music ceremonies, which will take place on November 20 and 21. As there will be large groups, solo artists, singers, rappers and bands nominated for various prizes, the event will celebrate accomplishments in different aspects of the Korean pop industry.
Congratulations to all the 2026 MAMA Awards nominees!
Also Read: 100 Days of Deception Episode 1-2 Review: A Pickpocket, a Revenge Plot, and Secrets Worth Uncovering
