The ‘2024 MAMA AWARDS’ has displayed firm ambition and confidence as a representative global K-POP awards ceremony.

The ‘2024 MAMA AWARDS’ held a press premiere at CJ ENM Sangam Center in Mapo-gu, Seoul on the morning of the 29th to reveal its determination to be the first K-POP awards ceremony to be held in the United States, as well as the host who will lead this year‘s awards ceremony, additional artist lineup, and special collaboration stages. This event, themed ‘25 Voices of MAMA AWARDS’, previewed differentiated attractions through the voices of figures from each industry who create the awards ceremony together.

According to CJ ENM, the hosts who will convey the values pursued by the ‘2024 MAMA AWARDS’ were first unveiled. Park Bo-gum, who has been writing the history of the MAMA AWARDS, will make his first appearance in the United States, while Kim Tae-ri, who digests her own character in each production, will take on her first challenge as the host of the Chapter 2 awards ceremony in Japan to mark the end of the MAMA AWARDS. Park Bo-gum, an irreplaceable storyteller who has been with the first moments of the MAMA AWARDS since its rebranding in 2017, and up until this year when it is about to make its first foray into the United States, said, “I am happy and excited to be able to decorate a page in the new history of MAMA. I look forward to the wonderful stage that will be created by numerous staff members and K-pop artists, and I hope that this will be a time when everyone becomes one through music.” Kim Tae-ri, who will meet viewers through the tvN drama ‘Retirement’, said, “I have finally been able to participate as a host of MAMA, a festival where hard work and shining talent will explode like huge fireworks on the stage. I feel deep respect for all the artists and I will be counting down the days until we can be together there.”

The additional artist lineup and the collaboration stage that can only be seen at the ‘2024 MAMA AWARDS’ were also revealed for the first time. First, girl group ‘izna’, which was born through the choice of global fans in 217 countries and regions through Mnet‘Island 2’, will perform their debut stage for the first time at the ‘2024 MAMA AWARDS’. Also, SEVENTEEN, who won the ‘Album of the Year’ at the ‘2023 MAMA AWARDS’ last year and created an unforgettable scene, has confirmed their appearance. SEVENTEEN, who recently made a comeback with their 12th mini-album ‘SPILL THE FEELS’ and recorded double million sellers in just one day, once again adding to the anticipation, are expected to expand their global influence with their world tour ‘SEVENTEEN [RIGHT HERE] WORLD TOUR’. Also, YOUNG POSSE, who recently sold out all tickets for his first fan concert since his debut and has been active both domestically and internationally, holding a 12-city American tour, has joined the US lineup. Lastly, the appearance of American artist Anderson .Paak, who is also active as a member of the R&B group ‘Silk Sonic’ with Bruno Mars and has won numerous Grammy Awards, has also been revealed.



The ‘2024 MAMA AWARDS’, which features ‘BIG BLUR: What is Real?’ as this year’s concept, is expected to encompass a relay broadcast that transcends time and space and cutting-edge technology accumulated over many years. Virtual idol group PLAVE will take to the stage of their first MAMA AWARDS and perform a special collaboration stage that transcends time and space with icon Lee Young-ji. Also, aespa, who have shown a unique worldview, announced that they will show a special stage filled with their own identity. In addition, a collaboration stage that breaks down genre boundaries with ENHYPEN, TXT, and Zero Base One has been foreshadowed. Last year, the ‘2024 MAMA AWARDS’ presented a differentiated stage that applied original elements from the perspective of ‘MAMA AWARDS’, and this year as well, it is expected to show symbolic stages like the Super Bowl halftime show, such as the Theme, Mega, Wonder, and Super stages. For the theme stage, Yeonjun of Tomorrow x Together will open the event with a collaboration stage with various robots.

CP Yoon Shin-hye, the executive producer of the ‘2024 MAMA AWARDS’, said, “MAMA, which started in 1999 as the Mnet Video Music Awards, became known as the ‘Mnet ASIAN MUSIC AWARDS’ in 2009 when it declared itself the first Asian music awards ceremony in Korea,“ and expressed her aspirations by saying, ”As it is evaluated as an awards ceremony that foresaw the potential of the global K-POP era before anyone else, we will now continue to think and work for differentiated stages from the first attempts under the proper name of ‘MAMA’.“ Art director Noh Mi-rae, who is preparing the stage design, said, “We will apply the ‘world tree’, a tree that transcends surrealism and mythology, as a stage design motif, along with stage simulation, to create a 360-degree center stage at Kyocera Dome in Osaka and deliver a strong and novel visual message.”

The ‘2024 MAMA AWARDS’, the first K-POP awards ceremony to be held in the United States this year, will be broadcast live worldwide, beyond offline, through a relay transmission from the United States to Japan. The ‘2024 MAMA AWARDS’ will be held at the Dolby Theater in LA, USA on November 21, and at Kyocera Dome Osaka, Japan on November 22 and 23 (based on local time). It will be available to view on Mnet, as well as the Mnet K-POP YouTube channel and Mnet TV.

Hong Se-young, Donga.com reporter projecthong@donga.com