MAMA Awards 2026 Nominations: BBTS, BIGBANG and aespa Lead Powerful Lineup With Top Nods

Entertainment giant CJ ENM officially unveiled the nominees for the 2026 MAMA Awards on October 12, kicking off the global voting process for one of K-pop’s most anticipated annual music events. Celebrating music releases between late 2025 and late 2026, the awards highlight top-performing artists across groups, soloists, and specialised categories. Worldwide fans can now cast their votes on the official Mnet Plus platform ahead of the two-day ceremony scheduled for November 20 and 21 at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan. TWICE’s Nayeon Dazzles Charlie Puth’s Korea Concert With Surprise ‘We Don’t Talk Anymore’ Duet.

MAMA 2026 Nominations

Artist and Group Categories

The nomination list features a competitive lineup across both male and female categories:

Best Male Group

ATEEZ

BIGBANG

BTS

CORTIS

ENHYPEN

NCT WISH

Stray Kids

TXT

Best Female Group 

aespa

BABYMONSTER

BLACKPINKHearts2Hearts

ILLIT

IVE

LESSERAFIM

NMIXX

Best Male Artist 

Doh Kyung Soo

Taeyang

Taeyong

Yeonjun

Young K

Best Female Artist   

Hwasa

Irene

Soyeon

Taeyeon

Yena

Specialised Genre, Performance, and Technical Categories

Beyond the main artist titles, nominations span diverse musical genres and creative achievements:

 Best Dance Performance Male Group

ATEEZ

BIGBANG

BOYNEXTDOOR

CORTIS

RIIZE

Stray Kids

TWSZEROBASEONE

Best Dance Performance Female Group

aespa

Hearts2Hearts

I.O.I

ILLIT

IVE

KiiiKiii

LE SSERAFIM

NMIXX   

Best Dance Performance Male Solo

Onew

Taemin

Taeyang

Taeyong

Yeonjun

Best Dance Performance Female Solo

BIBI

Dayoung

Soyeon

Yena

Yuna

 Best Vocal Performance Group

AKMU

BTS

DavichiDxS (SEVENTEEN)

MAMAMOO

Best Vocal Performance Solo

Hwasa

IU

Jennie

Roy Kim

WOODZ

Best Rap & Hip Hop Performance

BIG Naughty

HAON

NOWIMYOUNG

TREASURE

Zico, Lilas

Best Band Performance

JANNABI

LUCY

QWER

Silica Gel

Xdinary Heroes

Best Collaboration

aespa feat. G-Dragon

Dayoung x Jay Park

LE SSERAFIM feat. j-hope

Parc Jae Jung & Sullyoon (NMIXX)

Best OST

Kim Min Seok

Migak Boys

Sung Si Kyung

SuzyYoung K

Best Music Video

BIGBANG

BTS

Hwasa

(G)I-DLE

MEOVV

Best Choreography

ATEEZ

CORTIS

ILLIT

IVE

Yena

MAMA 2026 Voting Guidelines and Evaluation Criteria

Worldwide Fan Choice voting is officially open on the Mnet Plus app, allowing international audiences to determine key winners. Evaluation metrics for major categories combine digital streaming numbers, physical album sales, judge panels, and global fan votes to determine the final award recipients. VMAs 2026 Winners: Madonna, BLACKPINK’s LISA and Taylor Swift Receive Top Honours – Full List Inside.

Organised by CJ ENM, the MAMA Awards (formerly the Mnet Asian Music Awards) remain a flagship event in the global music industry, recognising excellence in Asian pop music. Host venue Kyocera Dome Osaka, the ceremony will mark another international edition for the ceremony, continuing MAMA's tradition of staging high-concept performances in major Asian arenas.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 12, 2026 05:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).