American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars, left, and BLACKPINK’s Rosé receive the Global Sensation award at the 2024 MAMA Awards at Kyocera Dome Osaka in Japan, Nov. 22, 2024. The duo’s collaboration “APT.” topped charts across English-speaking markets. Courtesy of CJ ENM
This year’s MAMA AWARDS will take audiences on a journey between the stars, where music transcends the boundaries of past and present, here and there, organizers said Thursday as they unveiled plans for CJ ENM’s flagship K-pop ceremony.
The theme, “A Music Interstellar,” was introduced at a media day held at the Eliena Hotel in Gangnam District, Seoul, ahead of the 2026 MAMA AWARDS, set for Nov. 20 and 21 at Kyocera Dome Osaka in Japan. The event was attended by Shin Hyung-kwan, head of CJ ENM’s music content business division; Yoon Shin-hye, head of its Mnet business division; and Park Chan-uk, head of its convention business division.
Yoon said the theme captures 2026 as a moment when older songs find new life amid fast-changing trends and audiences around the world enjoy the same music as K-pop expands.
Launched in 1999 as Mnet’s music video awards, the ceremony was renamed the Mnet Asian Music Awards in 2009 and rebranded as the MAMA AWARDS in 2022.
From left, Shin Hyung-kwan, head of CJ ENM’s music content business division; Yoon Shin-hye, head of CJ ENM’s Mnet business division; and Park Chan-uk, head of CJ ENM’s convention business division, pose during a media day for the 2026 MAMA Awards at the Eliena Hotel in Gangnam District, Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of CJ ENM
The idea of crossing boundaries carries into a series of collaborations. K-pop boy band ENHYPEN will team up with Hollywood sci-fi blockbuster “Dune: Part Three,” the final installment of Denis Villeneuve’s trilogy opening in December, in a performance Yoon said fuses K-pop with cinematic elements.
BIGBANG, which marks its 20th anniversary this year, will share the stage with the title character of “Dooly the Little Dinosaur,” a cartoon first created in 1983. Other crossovers will include a K-art collaboration with renowned contemporary artist Lee Bae and performances produced with Google’s artificial intelligence model Gemini, which Yoon said will support the show from its opening onward.
Legendary duo Panic, made up of singer-songwriter Lee Juck and rapper Kim Jin-pyo, will also perform. The duo debuted in 1995, the same year Mnet first launched. At MAMA, Panic will be joined by CORTIS’ Martin and Seonghyeon, WOODZ, ZEROBASEONE’s Kim Tae-rae, ALLDAY PROJECT’s Woochan and Hearts2Hearts’ Yuha.
“Our goal is for people from different eras, generations and places to discover music, share their tastes and pass on their experiences at MAMA,” Yoon said.
Fans attend the 2025 MAMA Awards at Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong, Nov. 28-29, 2025. Last year’s edition was the first K-pop awards ceremony to be held at the stadium. Courtesy of CJ ENM
The two nights will be divided by category, with the first part presenting artist awards and the second night honoring performance and genre categories. Actor Park Bo-gum, will connect the two as MAMA’s ambassador and host. In a video message played at the event, he promised performances “beyond imagination.”
The ceremony will also introduce its first MAMA Fan Festa, running from Nov. 9-21 on CJ ENM’s platform Mnet Plus. Events will also take place around HEP FIVE, Midosuji Avenue and Namba Plaza in Osaka.
Park said fans have always been at the center of MAMA’s evolution, adding that visitors will be able to experience the event from the moment they arrive in the city.
MAMA-themed experiences will be spread across Osaka, he said, from restaurants in the Dotonbori District to electric bikes and scooters that fans can ride around downtown. A Ferris wheel will play music by this year’s nominees. A welcome station at Namba Plaza will also host a series of events, including video high-five sessions with artists.
Fans will be able to take center stage and enjoy MAMA in a variety of ways, moving freely between online and offline, he added.
“We have spent a long time preparing a musical experience that transcends time and space,” Shin said, asking fans to stay tuned.