The organizers of the ‘2025 MAMA Awards’ have responded to criticism that the show overlooks domestic fans.
On November 11, a press premiere event for the 2025 MAMA Awards was held at the CJ ENM Center in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. Present at the event were Park Chan-wook, Head of the CJ ENM Convention Business Division, and producers Ma Doo-sik and Lee Young-joo.
Addressing criticism about holding the awards ceremony overseas, Park stated,
“The MAMA Awards has always aimed to connect with K-pop fans around the world and has been leading the way in global expansion.”
He continued,
“The ceremony will be broadcast live not only offline but also through various channels and platforms across different regions, as we pursue an award show that brings together fans globally. Although the ceremony was held in Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, we intend to continue hosting it globally in the future.”
On fan engagement, Park explained,
“When we hold the event abroad, local K-pop fandoms naturally attend. To create an exciting and energetic stage that fits this year’s concept, we prioritize communicating with regions that have active K-pop fanbases.”
He added,
“Kai Tak Stadium, where the 2025 MAMA will take place, is a landmark venue in Hong Kong that can accommodate around 50,000 people including standing areas. Coldplay performed at its opening concert, and K-pop artists like NCT and SEVENTEEN have also performed there. The MAMA Awards will be the first K-pop awards ceremony ever held at this venue.”
The ‘2025 MAMA Awards’ will be held on November 28 and 29 (local time) at Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong. This year’s concept slogan, “UH-HEUNG,” conveys a message of embracing diversity—encouraging people to accept themselves as they are and to live authentically without fear, across different regions, races, and cultures.
Actor Park Bo-gum will host Chapter 1 (Day 1), and actress Kim Hye-soo will host Chapter 2 (Day 2).
The lineup includes:
All Day Project, Alpha Drive One, BABYMONSTER, BOYNEXTDOOR, BEOMJUP, CORTIS, ENHYPEN, Hearts2Hearts, IVE, IZNA, KICKFLIP, MIYAO, RIIZE, Stray Kids, Super Junior, TWRS, ZEROBASEONE, aespa, G-DRAGON, I:D:IT, (G)I-DLE, JO1, Kyoka, MIRROR, NCT WISH, TOMORROW X TOGETHER (TXT), and TREASURE.
Written by Kim No Eul
Trasnslated by Lee So Yun
