2026 MAMA AWARDS Nominees and Ceremony Schedule =============================================== The 2026 MAMA AWARDS will be held on November 20 and 21 at Kyocera Dome Osaka in Japan. The major nominees announced on October 12 and the Fans' Choice voting schedule are covered separately, along with each day's start time and the official broadcast channels. - The 2026 MAMA AWARDS will be held on November 20 and 21, 2026, at Kyocera Dome Osaka in Japan. - On October 12, 2026, Mnet Plus released nominee videos for categories including the rookie award and male and female group awards. - The first round of Fans' Choice voting runs until 11:59 p.m. Korea time on October 22, 2026. - According to Mnet Japan, the main ceremony starts at 6 p.m. on November 20 and 3 p.m. on November 21. - A nomination does not mean an award win or confirm an appearance at the ceremony. The 2026 MAMA AWARDS will take place on November 20 and 21 in Japan. The venue is Kyocera Dome Osaka, Japan. Nominees in the major categories were announced on October 12. The main ceremonies are scheduled to be broadcast live worldwide on Mnet Plus. Nominee and voting information is based on Mnet Plus announcements as of October 12, 2026. Key Event Information This K-POP awards event begins with the nominee announcement and fan voting, followed by the main ceremonies. MAMA AWARDS began in 1999 as the Video Music Awards. It adopted its current name in 2022. The event’s history and plans are detailed in a CJ ENM press release. Item Official announcement Event name 2026 MAMA AWARDS Organizer CJ ENM Main ceremony dates Friday, November 20, and Saturday, November 21, 2026 Venue Kyocera Dome Osaka, Japan Nominee video release date October 12, 2026 Global online broadcast Mnet Plus Related event MAMA FAN FESTA Fan Festa dates November 9 to 21, 2026 Fan Festa locations and platform Across Osaka and on Mnet Plus The main ceremony dates and venue are listed in the Mnet Plus basic information. Fan Festa is a separate event that starts before the main ceremonies. Its dates and locations are given in Mnet Japan’s event announcement. Major 2026 MAMA Nominees The new artist and male and female group awards were announced as separate categories. The table below lists nominees in the major artist categories. The names in the table are nominees, not winners. Category Nominees announced on October 12, 2026 New Artist, BEST NEW ARTIST ALPHA DRIVE ONE, AND2BLE, EVAN, H//PE Princess, hrtz.wav, LNGSHOT, MODYSSEY, OURBIRTHDAY, TUIDE, UNCHILD Male Group, BEST MALE GROUP ATEEZ, BIGBANG, BTS, CORTIS, ENHYPEN, NCT WISH, Stray Kids, TOMORROW X TOGETHER Female Group, BEST FEMALE GROUP aespa, BABYMONSTER, BLACKPINK, Hearts2Hearts, ILLIT, IVE, LE SSERAFIM, NMIXX Male Artist, BEST MALE ARTIST Do Kyung Soo, Yeonjun, Taeyang, Taeyong, Young K Female Artist, BEST FEMALE ARTIST Soyeon, Irene, Taeyeon, Hwasa, Choi Yena The new artist nominees were checked against the official MnetMAMA announcement. The male group nominees are confirmed in the official announcement for that category. The female group and male and female artist nominees are also listed in posts from the official MnetMAMA account. Performance and Work Categories The group and performance awards were announced in separate nominee videos. An artist may be nominated in one category but not another. The full set of videos is available in the NOMINATION list on Mnet Plus. Type Categories with released nominee videos Dance performance Male solo, female solo, male group, female group Vocal performance Solo, group Genre performances BEST RAP & HIP HOP PERFORMANCE, BEST BAND PERFORMANCE Collaboration and soundtrack BEST COLLABORATION, BEST OST Video and choreography BEST MUSIC VIDEO with YouTube, BEST CHOREOGRAPHY FANS' CHOICE Nominees and First-Round Voting FANS' CHOICE nominees were announced in separate male and female categories. First-round voting runs until 23:59 on October 22, 2026 (South Korea). It began at 19:00 on October 12 (South Korea). All times are Korea Standard Time. The description of Mnet Plus’s “Nominees | FANS' CHOICE FEMALE” says: Voting takes place on Mnet Plus and X. This statement and the voting period appear in the official female category video. Viewers are also directed to Mnet Plus to check each artist’s official hashtag. Nominee lists for other categories should not be used in place of the FANS' CHOICE lists. Category Some nominees confirmed in official video previews FANS' CHOICE MALE &TEAM, 82MAJOR, 8TURN, Jay Park, Park Jihoon, BTS, SEVENTEEN, AHOF, EVAN, JANNABI FANS' CHOICE FEMALE DAVICHI, Dayoung, MAMAMOO, Mimi, BIBI, I.O.I, ILLIT, Yuju, Yoon Mirae, Yoona This table is not a complete list of FANS' CHOICE nominees. It includes only names directly confirmed in the public previews. The full lists should be checked in the male category video and the female category video. The Difference Between Superfans and the Main Vote MAMA superfans are official ambassadors who participate in selecting FANS' CHOICE nominees. CJ ENM said superfans would be given a role in the nominee selection process. Applications for 2026 closed on September 6, Korea Standard Time. These details appear in CJ ENM’s superfan recruitment announcement. Stage Meaning Relevant date Superfan recruitment Selection of ambassadors to participate in choosing nominees Applications closed September 6, 2026 Nominee announcement Release of nominees by award category October 12, 2026 FANS' CHOICE first-round voting Voting for the announced nominees October 12, 2026, at 19:00 to October 22 at 23:59, Korea Standard Time 2026 MAMA Ceremony Schedule The main ceremonies start at different times on the two days. Mnet Japan lists 18:00 for the first day and 15:00 for the second. The red carpet starts before each main ceremony. Date Chapter Red carpet starts Main ceremony starts Friday, November 20, 2026 CHAPTER 1 15:30 18:00 Saturday, November 21, 2026 CHAPTER 2 12:30 15:00 The table follows Mnet Japan’s broadcast information. Korea and Japan have no time difference, so the times are the same in both countries. The broadcast times and content may change. How to Watch 2026 MAMA Mnet Plus has been announced as the global online live broadcast channel. Mnet Japan and Mnet Smart+ are also listed for Japan. Viewing options by region should be distinguished, even when services have similar names. The broadcast coverage is described in Mnet Japan’s official announcement. Viewing option Officially announced coverage Fees and points to check Mnet Plus Online live broadcast planned worldwide Check the broadcast notice for event-specific access terms and whether viewing is free Mnet Smart+ Online viewing option for Japan Basic: 1,320 yen per month; Premium: 2,530 yen per month, including tax Mnet Japan TV broadcast option for Japan Check the channel subscription terms of your TV provider The Mnet Smart+ prices are those posted on the Mnet Japan event page. With app store billing, Basic costs 1,350 yen per month. Premium costs 2,600 yen per month with the same payment method. Both prices include tax. Mnet Plus and Mnet Smart+ are different services. The Japan-specific prices should not be taken as fees for the global broadcast. A live broadcast announcement also does not confirm that replays will be available. What to Watch For This year’s event features both competition across award categories and fan participation programs. The official concept is A MUSIC INTERSTELLAR. It represents a journey through time and space through music. The concept is explained in the Mnet Japan announcement. The new artist nominees were announced in a single BEST NEW ARTIST video. The previous category structure should not be applied unchanged. The group and dance performance awards were announced separately. Viewers can distinguish between team nominees and nominees for specific works. Fan Festa runs from November 9 to 21, 2026, in Japan. It is a fan participation program separate from the main ceremonies. The Difference Between Nominee and Performer Lists A nomination alone does not confirm that an artist will appear at the venue. Nominee videos announce who is up for awards. Whether an artist will perform must be checked against a separate performer announcement. Winners must be checked against the results announced at the main ceremonies. Official label What it confirms What the label alone does not confirm Nominees Inclusion among the nominees in that category A win or attendance at the venue Performing Artist Announced as a performer A win in that category Winner or award result The winner in that category Whether the artist won in another category CHAPTER 1·CHAPTER 2 Which event date applies The order of individual award categories For example, Mnet Japan lists ENHYPEN among the first-day performers. BIGBANG is listed among the second-day performers. Whether the two groups are nominated for BEST MALE GROUP is confirmed in a separate announcement. Performance dates should be checked against the Mnet Japan performer list. Frequently Asked Questions When were the nominees announced? Mnet Plus posted its category-specific nominee videos on October 12, 2026. A preview of the nominee announcement was posted on October 8. The date of the preview video should be distinguished from the date the nominees were announced. Are the new artist nominees divided into male and female categories? The official video checked is for a single category, BEST NEW ARTIST. The new artist nominee table follows that structure. A list divided into male and female categories should not be confused with FANS' CHOICE. When does FANS' CHOICE first-round voting end? It ends at 23:59 on October 22, 2026, Korea Standard Time. The officially announced voting channels are Mnet Plus and X. Viewers are directed to Mnet Plus to check each artist’s hashtag. Do both days start at the same time? According to Mnet Japan, the main ceremonies start at different times. November 20 (Japan) starts at 18:00, and November 21 starts at 15:00. The times are the same in Korea and Japan. Can I watch for free on Mnet Plus? The official announcement checked confirms plans for a global live broadcast. It does not specify whether viewing will be free. Check the event broadcast notice for access terms. Will every nominated artist perform? A nominee announcement alone does not establish whether an artist will perform. Performers are announced separately. Check the performer list for each date. Are Fan Festa and the main ceremonies the same event? Fan Festa is a separate fan participation event linked to the main ceremonies. It runs from November 9 to 21, 2026. The main ceremonies take place on November 20 and 21. FAQ Q. When and where will the 2026 MAMA AWARDS be held? A. They will be held on November 20 and 21, 2026, at Kyocera Dome Osaka in Japan. Q. When were the nominees for each category announced? A. Mnet Plus posted its videos of the nominees for each category on October 12, 2026. The teaser video for the nominee announcement was posted on October 8. Q. Who are the nominees for Best New Artist? A. ALPHA DRIVE ONE, AND2BLE, EVAN, H//PE Princess, hrtz.wav, LNGSHOT, MODYSSEY, OURBIRTHDAY, TUIDE, and UNCHILD were announced as BEST NEW ARTIST nominees. Q. When is the deadline for the first round of Fans' Choice voting? A. It is October 22, 2026, at 23:59 Korea time. The official video lists Mnet Plus and X as voting channels. Q. Are superfan recruitment and the first round of Fans' Choice voting the same thing? A. They are separate processes. Superfans are ambassadors who help select nominees. The first round of voting takes place after the nominees are announced. Q. Do the main ceremonies start at the same time on the first and second days? A. According to Mnet Japan, the ceremony starts at 18:00 on November 20, 2026. It starts at 15:00 on November 21. There is no time difference between Korea and Japan. Q. Where can I watch the official online broadcast? A. Mnet Plus was announced as the global live-streaming channel. In Japan, Mnet Japan and Mnet Smart+ were also listed as viewing options. Q. Is the Mnet Plus live stream free? A. The official announcements checked state that a global live stream is planned. Whether it is free has not been confirmed. Check the viewing conditions in the event broadcast notice. Q. Can the list of nominees be treated as a list of performers or winners? A. The list of nominees identifies the candidates for awards in each category. Performance appearances and award results must each be confirmed through separate announcements. Q. When will MAMA FAN FESTA be held? A. It will run from November 9 to 21, 2026. It is a related fan participation event held around Osaka and on Mnet Plus. Sources - Mnet Plus, 2026 MAMA AWARDS nominee videos by category: https://www.mnetplus.world/contents/ko/shows/6a85550be99fb5128ae1d76f/videos - Mnet Plus, 2026 MAMA AWARDS basic information: https://www.mnetplus.world/contents/ko/shows/6a85550be99fb5128ae1d76f/basic-info - Mnet Plus, NOMINATION TRAILER, October 8, 2026: https://mnetplus.world/media/en/videos/6ac6daf970073025ba952614 - Mnet Plus, Nominees | BEST NEW ARTIST: https://www.mnetplus.world/media/ko/videos/6acca92d96cca21d7a3550b8 - MnetMAMA official account, BEST NEW ARTIST nominees announcement: https://weibo.com/2/detail/5353244274197234 - MnetMAMA official account, BEST MALE GROUP nominees announcement: https://weibo.com/2/detail/5353244849343422 - MnetMAMA official account, category nominee announcement posts: https://www.sina.cn/media/3843559454 - Mnet Plus, Nominees | FANS' CHOICE MALE: https://www.mnetplus.world/media/ko/videos/6acca7930c0060646cb66dcc - Mnet Plus, Nominees | FANS' CHOICE FEMALE: https://www.mnetplus.world/media/ko/videos/6acca81c3b32a955c0107484 - CJ ENM, announcement of 2026 MAMA superfan recruitment and the launch of MAMA FAN FESTA, August 28, 2026: https://cjnews.cj.net/?p=79450 - Mnet Japan, information on the main concept, nominee announcement broadcast, and MAMA FAN FESTA: https://mnetjp.com/news/detail/20261007193600 - Mnet Japan, information on 2026 MAMA AWARDS broadcast times, performers, and viewing fees: https://mnetjp.com/mama/2026/ Images - A man looks at a grid of video thumbnails on a tablet in a sunlit autumn living room.: https://injoys.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MzAxNzUsInB1ciI6ImJsb2JfaWQifX0=--0a1c5ed1288df86747405511c6e75305cfe490d1/ai-dc370830.webp - Woman reading a two-part event notice in a plaza outside a domed venue: https://injoys.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MzAxODEsInB1ciI6ImJsb2JfaWQifX0=--5d9bfc8a97c20b24a222050fdb9c7a3c35bbf914/ai-8f663b1f.webp --- Category: News Source: https://injoys.com/en/articles/2026-mama-awards-nominees-schedule-how-to-watch License: cc_by Translation-Status: reviewed