Updated: October 16, 2026. With just over a month to go, the 2026 MAMA AWARDS are beginning to take clear shape. The nominations are out, Fans’ Choice voting is underway, two rounds of performers have been announced, ticket presales have opened, and Mnet has confirmed the broadcast schedule. Several key details — including the hosts and presenters — are still being saved for later.
This guide brings together everything officially confirmed so far: dates, venue, performers, nominees, judging rules, fan voting, tickets, livestream information, the new MAMA FAN FESTA, and the biggest storylines to watch before Osaka.
2026 MAMA AWARDS at a glance
| Item | Confirmed information |
|---|---|
| Dates | November 20-21, 2026 |
| Venue | Kyocera Dome Osaka, Osaka, Japan |
| Title sponsor | Visa |
| Main concept | A MUSIC INTERSTELLAR |
| Global livestream | Mnet Plus |
| Chapter 1 | November 20 — Red carpet 15:30 / Awards 18:00 |
| Chapter 2 | November 21 — Red carpet 12:30 / Awards 15:00 |
| Hosts | Not announced yet |
| MAMA FAN FESTA | November 9-21 across Osaka and online via Mnet Plus |
Japan and Korea share the same UTC+9 time zone, so the published Japan broadcast times also apply directly in Korea.
Why MAMA is back in Osaka
MAMA has spent much of its modern history positioning itself as a global K-pop awards show rather than a ceremony focused only on the Korean domestic market. After expanding across major Asian cities and later into the United States, the awards return to Kyocera Dome Osaka in 2026 for another two-day edition.
Kyocera Dome is a natural fit for that strategy. It is a major indoor venue in one of K-pop’s most important overseas markets, with strong transport links and an audience base capable of supporting multiple days of performances, red carpets and related events. This year, however, CJ ENM is pushing the MAMA experience beyond the dome itself through the expanded MAMA FAN FESTA.
The 2026 concept: “A MUSIC INTERSTELLAR”
The main creative theme is A MUSIC INTERSTELLAR. Mnet describes it as a journey through a musical universe that moves beyond ordinary boundaries of time and space. In practice, the concept gives the production team a framework for the kind of large-scale visual storytelling MAMA is known for: chapter-based staging, cinematic transitions, collaborations and performances designed specifically for the awards rather than repeated music-show stages.
The long-running MAMA message, “Music Makes ONE,” remains at the center of the event. The 2026 version extends that idea into a more immersive “music universe” in which fans are not only watching but also participating through voting, fan programs and events across Osaka.
Confirmed performing artists: Chapter 1 — November 20
As of October 16, the announced Chapter 1 performers are:
- ALPHA DRIVE ONE
- ALLDAY PROJECT
- BABYMONSTER
- CL
- ENHYPEN
- Hearts2Hearts
- ILLIT
- INI
- LNGSHOT
- MODYSSEY
- NCT WISH
- RESCENE
- STREET WORLD FIGHTER: Directors’ War
- TREASURE
The list mixes established names, newer groups and performance-focused acts. CL is especially notable because MAMA has often used veteran artists as anchors for stages that connect different K-pop generations. ENHYPEN, BABYMONSTER, ILLIT and NCT WISH also bring large international fandoms, making the first night one of the most closely watched.
Confirmed performing artists: Chapter 2 — November 21
The announced Chapter 2 performers are:
- &TEAM
- BIGBANG
- CORTIS
- HWASA
- IVE
- izna
- KiiiKiii
- KO1KEYZ
- LE SSERAFIM
- NAYEON (TWICE)
- WOODZ
- ZEROBASEONE
BIGBANG’s inclusion immediately gives Chapter 2 a major headline act, while IVE, LE SSERAFIM, NAYEON and ZEROBASEONE add some of the strongest current-generation fan bases. Mnet has also made clear that the lineup is still being expanded, so these names should be treated as the confirmed roster so far, not the final cast.
Hosts and presenters
No official host has been announced as of October 16. Mnet Japan’s event page still lists the host section as “Coming Soon.” Presenter names are also expected later. Because award-show rumors spread quickly, KWaveScope will treat only Mnet or CJ ENM announcements as confirmed.
Eligibility period
For the 2026 awards, eligible music must have been released between October 1, 2025 and September 30, 2026. That window explains why several major late-2025 releases remain part of the 2026 race, while releases after September 30 will fall into a later eligibility cycle.
How winners are decided
| Category | 2026 weighting |
|---|---|
| Artist of the Year + artist categories | 40% jury, 30% streaming/downloads, 30% physical album sales |
| Song of the Year + genre categories | 50% jury, 50% streaming/downloads |
| Album of the Year | 40% jury, 60% physical album sales |
| Best Music Video | 100% jury |
| Best Choreography | 100% jury |
| Best Song Top 10 | 100% streaming/downloads |
| Fans’ Choice Male/Female | 90% Mnet Plus voting, 10% X voting |
| Fans’ Choice of the Year | 90% Mnet Plus + 10% X, with an additional live Mnet Plus vote component |
The digital score is split between Korean and global consumption. Artist awards allocate 15% to Korean streaming/downloads and 15% to global data. Song and genre awards split the 50% digital component equally between Korea and the global market.
Album of the Year has another important rule: only albums that have passed the one-million-sales eligibility threshold are in the field.
Major award structure
Artist of the Year
Artists nominated in the main artist categories automatically enter the Artist of the Year race. That means the Daesang field is broader than a short five-person shortlist and includes the relevant soloists, groups and rookies from the core artist categories.
Song of the Year
The nominees will come from the Best Song Top 10. That Top 10 has not yet been finalized in the current nomination package, so the Song of the Year race remains one of the biggest pieces still to be completed.
Album of the Year
- &TEAM — Mark on Me
- aespa — LEMONADE
- ALPHA DRIVE ONE — EUPHORIA
- ATEEZ — GOLDEN HOUR : Part.5
- BLACKPINK — DEADLINE
- BOYNEXTDOOR — The Action
- BTS — ARIRANG
- CORTIS — GREENGREEN
- ENHYPEN — THE SIN : VANISH
- EXO — REVERXE
- IVE — REVIVE+
- NCT DREAM — Beat It Up
- NCT WISH — Ode to Love
- PLAVE — Caligo Pt.2
- RIIZE — II
- Stray Kids — THIS & THAT
- TWS — NO TRAGEDY
- TXT — 7TH YEAR: A Moment of Stillness in the Thorns
2026 MAMA nominees
Best New Artist
ALPHA DRIVE ONE, AND2BLE, EVAN, H//PE Princess, hrtz.wav, LNGSHOT, MODYSSEY, OURBIRTHDAY, TUIDE, UNCHILD.
Best Male Artist
Doh Kyung Soo, Taeyang, Taeyong, Yeonjun, Young K (DAY6).
Best Female Artist
Hwasa, Irene, Soyeon, Taeyeon, Yena.
Best Male Group
ATEEZ, BIGBANG, BTS, CORTIS, ENHYPEN, NCT WISH, Stray Kids, TXT.
Best Female Group
aespa, BABYMONSTER, BLACKPINK, Hearts2Hearts, ILLIT, IVE, LE SSERAFIM, NMIXX.
Best Vocal Performance Solo
- Hwasa — “Good Goodbye”
- IU — “Unknown Planet”
- JENNIE — “Less than a Lover”
- Roy Kim — “No Words Can Say”
- WOODZ — “CINEMA”
Best Vocal Performance Group
- AKMU — “Paradise of Rumors”
- BTS — “SWIM”
- DAVICHI — “TIME CAPSULE”
- DxS (SEVENTEEN) — “Blue”
- MAMAMOO — “4 Flowers”
Best Rap & Hip Hop Performance
- BIG Naughty — “Nostalgia”
- HAON — “Yarrr”
- NOWIMYOUNG — “KOLOK COLOK”
- TREASURE — “IF I”
- ZICO, Lilas — “DUET”
Best Collaboration
- aespa — “WDA (Whole Different Animal)” feat. G-DRAGON
- Dayoung × Jay Park — “FLIRTY”
- LE SSERAFIM — “SPAGHETTI” feat. j-hope
- LE SSERAFIM, ILLIT, KATSEYE — “ICONIC BY MISTAKE”
- Parc Jae Jung & Sullyoon (NMIXX) — “Always”
Best OST
- Kim Min Seok (MeloMance) — “Love Language”
- Migak Boys — “My Flavor”
- Sung Si Kyung — “Anytime anyhow”
- Suzy — “A Day”
- Young K (DAY6) — “Season of Us”
Best Music Video
- BIGBANG — “BiiiG”
- BTS — “2.0”
- Hwasa — “Good Goodbye”
- i-dle — “Mono” feat. skaiwater
- MEOVV — “DDI RO RI”
Best Band Performance
- Silica Gel — “BIG VOID”
- JANNABI — “Just Kids”
- LUCY — “All Ages”
- QWER — “CEREMONY”
- Xdinary Heroes — “Voyager”
Best Choreography
- ATEEZ — “BAD”
- CORTIS — “REDRED”
- ILLIT — “It’s Me”
- IVE — “BANG BANG”
- Yena — “Catch Catch”
Best Dance Performance Male Solo
- ONEW — “TOUGH LOVE”
- TAEMIN — “FLOAT”
- TAEYANG — “LIVE FAST DIE SLOW”
- TAEYONG — “WYLD”
- YEONJUN — “Ice Cream”
Best Dance Performance Female Solo
- BIBI — “BUMPA”
- Dayoung — “What’s a girl to do”
- Soyeon — “I’m gonna TOESA”
- Yena — “Catch Catch”
- Yuna (ITZY) — “Ice Cream”
Best Dance Performance Male Group
- ATEEZ — “BAD”
- BIGBANG — “BiiiG”
- BOYNEXTDOOR — “Hollywood Action”
- CORTIS — “REDRED”
- RIIZE — “Do your dance”
- Stray Kids — “This & That”
- TWS — “OVERDRIVE”
- ZEROBASEONE — “TOP 5”
Best Dance Performance Female Group
- aespa — “LEMONADE”
- Hearts2Hearts — “RUDE!”
- I.O.I — “Suddenly”
- ILLIT — “It’s Me”
- IVE — “BANG BANG”
- KiiiKiii — “404 (New Era)”
- LE SSERAFIM — “SPAGHETTI” feat. j-hope
- NMIXX — “Blue Valentine”
Fans’ Choice voting: what fans need to know
Fans’ Choice is the part of MAMA where the public has the clearest direct influence. The 2026 voting pool is much larger than the main jury-and-data categories, and the male and female fields will be narrowed as voting progresses.
Round 1: October 12, 19:00 KST to October 22, 23:59 KST.
Round 2: scheduled to begin October 28 at 18:00 KST. Fans should check the Mnet Plus MAMA page for the final closing time and any rule changes before voting.
For the Male and Female Fans’ Choice categories, the calculation is 90% Mnet Plus voting and 10% voting activity on X. The first round narrows the pool before the later vote. Fans’ Choice of the Year adds a live Mnet Plus component during the awards period.
Because the candidate pool changes after Round 1, the most reliable place to see the live list is the official Mnet Plus MAMA voting page rather than a static article copied before the cut.
2026 MAMA tickets: current presale
The first official ticket presale opened on October 13 and is scheduled to close on October 18 at 23:59. It is an advance lottery rather than a first-come, first-served sale.
| Ticket | Price | Key condition |
|---|---|---|
| Reserved Seat | ¥25,000 | Assigned seating |
| Premium Seat | ¥35,000 | Closer to the stage; must be applied for together with a Reserved Seat application |
The first-round lottery result is scheduled for October 21 at 12:00. Each person can apply for up to two tickets per performance for the applicable ticket type. All tickets are electronic, and Qoo10 registration is required for the current sale route. Ticketing fees are added separately.
Visa presale applications require a Visa card. A separate MAMA FAN FESTA Super Pass route also gives eligible pass holders access to a priority ticket lottery for the corresponding chapter.
International travelers should pay particular attention to the identity information entered during ticketing. The official notice warns that applicant information cannot simply be changed later, and identity checks may be carried out at the venue.
MAMA FAN FESTA: the biggest format change in 2026
The new MAMA FAN FESTA runs from November 9 through November 21 across Osaka and online through Mnet Plus. It is designed to turn MAMA into a multi-day fan experience rather than something that begins only when the red carpet starts.
CJ ENM has described it as a mix of online and offline participation, fan-centered programs and special collaborations. More location-by-location details are expected as the event approaches, so visitors may want to leave some flexibility in their Osaka itinerary until the final program is published.
For fans traveling to Japan specifically for MAMA, this matters. A trip that once revolved around one or two dome nights may now make sense as a longer Osaka stay, especially if additional pop-ups, fan programs or partner events are announced around the city.
How to watch the 2026 MAMA AWARDS
CJ ENM has confirmed a worldwide livestream via Mnet Plus. In Japan, Mnet and Mnet Smart+ will also carry the ceremony.
Chapter 1 — Friday, November 20
- Red carpet: 15:30
- Awards ceremony: 18:00
Chapter 2 — Saturday, November 21
- Red carpet: 12:30
- Awards ceremony: 15:00
Platform availability can differ by country, so viewers outside Japan should check Mnet Plus close to the event date for region-specific viewing instructions.
The biggest 2026 storylines
1. BTS, BLACKPINK and BIGBANG are all back in the main conversation
One of the most unusual features of the 2026 field is the concentration of globally established groups at the top. BTS are nominated for Best Male Group, Album of the Year, Best Vocal Performance Group and Best Music Video. BLACKPINK are in Best Female Group and Album of the Year. BIGBANG appear in Best Male Group, Album of the Year, Best Music Video and Best Dance Performance Male Group — and are also confirmed to perform on Chapter 2.
That creates a different awards atmosphere from years dominated almost entirely by fourth- and fifth-generation competition. The veteran names are not simply appearing for legacy recognition; they are competing in current-release categories.
2. The female-group race is extremely crowded
aespa, BABYMONSTER, BLACKPINK, Hearts2Hearts, ILLIT, IVE, LE SSERAFIM and NMIXX make up a Best Female Group field with very different strengths: global touring, digital performance, album sales, viral songs and rapid fandom growth. It is one of the categories where the balance between jury evaluation, consumption data and physical sales will matter most.
3. Album of the Year is a sales-heavy Daesang by design
With 60% of the score tied to physical album sales and a one-million-copy eligibility threshold, Album of the Year is structurally different from Song of the Year. A release can have enormous cultural visibility and still be disadvantaged if it does not sit in the same physical-sales tier as the leading fandom-driven albums.
4. Performance categories are not popularity votes
Best Music Video and Best Choreography are decided entirely by jury evaluation. That matters because these categories are often discussed online as if streaming totals or fan voting directly decide the winner. They do not.
5. MAMA is turning into a city-scale event
The launch of MAMA FAN FESTA is potentially as significant as any individual nominee. If the format works, future MAMA editions may increasingly resemble a festival week built around an awards show rather than a standalone ceremony. Osaka is effectively the test case.
What has not been announced yet
- The official host or hosts
- The presenter lineup
- The final complete performer lineup
- Detailed special-stage and collaboration information
- The Best Song Top 10 / final Song of the Year field
- The final MAMA FAN FESTA program by location
- Later ticket-sale rounds after the current presale
Those gaps matter because MAMA typically saves some of its most marketable announcements for the final weeks. A “complete lineup” graphic circulating now should therefore be treated cautiously unless it comes directly from MAMA, Mnet or CJ ENM.
KWaveScope view: what to watch between now and November 20
The most important next signals are not rumor lists. Watch for three official updates: the next performance announcement, the host and presenter reveal, and the Best Song Top 10. The first will show how heavily MAMA is leaning into veteran headline names versus current-generation acts. The second shapes the television identity of the show. The third completes the most open of the major Daesang races.
For fans attending in person, ticket deadlines come first. For fans following from home, Fans’ Choice voting is the immediate action point. For everyone else, the second half of October should be when the 2026 MAMA AWARDS shifts from a nomination list into a much clearer picture of the actual show.
Official information and updates:
Mnet Plus — 2026 MAMA AWARDS
CJ ENM — 2026 MAMA AWARDS in Osaka
Mnet Japan — 2026 MAMA AWARDS special site
Official ticket sales page