2024 MAMA Awards Nominees Revealed: Who’s Taking Home the Crown?

On October 14, the nominations for the 2024 MAMA Awards were officially announced, igniting excitement and anticipation among K-pop fans worldwide. This year's prestigious ceremony will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on November 21 PST and at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka on November 22 and 23 KST.

Event Details and Voting Criteria

The MAMA Awards, known for celebrating the best in K-pop, have outlined clear criteria for selecting the final winners. Understanding these criteria is essential for fans who wish to support their favorite artists.

• Artist of the Year and Artist Category Awards

  • 20% judging evaluation
  • 40% streaming/downloads (25% Korea + 15% global)
  • 40% physical album sales

• Song of the Year and Genre Category Awards

  • 40% judging evaluation
  • 60% streaming/downloads (40% Korea + 20% global)

• Album of the Year

  • 40% judging evaluation
  • 60% physical album sales (for albums that sold at least 1 million copies)

• Best Music Video and Best Choreography

  • 100% judging evaluation

• Fans’ Choice Male/Female and Fans’ Choice of the Year

  • Majority of votes from Mnet Plus and X platform
  • Additional real-time votes for the final decision

Voting for Fans’ Choice categories will begin soon, with the first round open until October 25 at 11:59 p.m. KST. The top 20 artists from each category will advance to the second round, which runs from November 1 at 7 p.m. KST to November 15 at 11:59 p.m. KST.

Nominations Across Various Categories

The 2024 MAMA Awards feature a diverse range of nominees across multiple categories, highlighting both new and established artists in the K-pop industry.

Best New Male Artist

• 82MAJOR
• ALL(H)OURS
• AMPERS&ONE
• NCT WISH
• NOWADAYS
• TWS

Best New Female Artist

• BABYMONSTER
• ILLIT
• MEOVV
• QWER
• UNIS
• YOUNG POSSE

Best Male Group

• ENHYPEN
• NCT DREAM
• SEVENTEEN
• Stray Kids
• TXT
• ZEROBASEONE

Best Female Group

• aespa
• (G)I-DLE
• IVE
• LE SSERAFIM
• NewJeans
• TWICE

Best Male Artist

• Baekhyun
• Jungkook
• Jimin
• Lim Young Woong
• Taemin

Best Female Artist

• IU
• Jennie
• Nayeon
• Taeyeon
• Yuqi

Best Dance Performance Categories

• Solo: Jimin, Jungkook, Key, Taemin, Taeyong
• Female Solo: Hwasa, Jennie, Nayeon, Sunmi, Yuqi
• Male Group: ENHYPEN, NCT 127, RIIZE, SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, TWS
• Female Group: aespa, (G)I-DLE, ILLIT, IVE, LE SSERAFIM, NewJeans

Best Vocal Performance Categories

• Solo: BIBI, IU, Lee Mu Jin, Lim Young Woong, Taeyeon
• Group: AKMU, Davichi, (G)I-DLE, PLAVE, Red Velvet

Best Band Performance

• DAY6, LUCY, N.Flying, Hyukoh, Sunset Rollercoaster, QWER

Best Rap & Hip Hop Performance

• DEAN, Leellamarz, Lee Young Ji, RM, Zico

Best Collaboration

• GroovyRoom, Jay Park, Lee Young Ji, Sung Si Kyung & Naul, Zico

Best OST

• Roy Kim, Lee Chang Sub, ECLIPSE, Taeyeon, Crush

Best Music Video

• aespa, K.will, IU, IVE, SEVENTEEN

Best Choreography

• aespa, ILLIT, LE SSERAFIM, NewJeans, RIIZE, Taemin

Artist of the Year

• 82MAJOR, aespa, ALL(H)OURS, AMPERS&ONE, BABYMONSTER, Baekhyun, ENHYPEN, (G)I-DLE, ILLIT, IU, IVE, Jennie, Jimin, Jungkook, LE SSERAFIM, Lim Young Woong, MEOVV, Nayeon, NCT DREAM, NCT WISH, NewJeans, NOWADAYS, QWER, SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, Taemin, Taeyeon, TWICE, TWS, TXT, UNIS, YOUNG POSSE, Yuqi, ZEROBASEONE

Song of the Year

• aespa – “Armageddon”
• aespa – “Supernova”
• AKMU – “Hero”
• BIBI – “Bam Yang Gang”
• Crush – “Love You With All My Heart” (“Queen of Tears” OST)
• Davichi – “A very personal story”
• DAY6 – “Welcome to the Show”
• DEAN – “DIE 4 YOU”
• ECLIPSE – “Sudden Shower” (“Lovely Runner” OST)
• ENHYPEN – “Sweet Venom”
• (G)I-DLE – “Fate”
• (G)I-DLE – “Super Lady”
• GroovyRoom – “Yes or No” (Feat. Huh Yunjin, Crush)
• Hwasa – “NA”
• Hyukoh, Sunset Rollercoaster – “Young Man”
• ILLIT – “Magnetic”
• IU – “Love wins all”
• IVE – “Baddie”
• IVE – “HEYA”
• Jay Park – “Taxi Blurr” (Feat. Natty)
• Jennie – “You & Me”
• Jimin – “Who”
• Jungkook – “Standing Next to You”
• K.will – “No Sad Song For My Broken Heart” (Prod. Yoon Sang)
• Key – “Pleasure Shop”
• LE SSERAFIM – “CRAZY”
• LE SSERAFIM – “EASY”
• Lee Chang Sub – “Heavenly fate” (“A Not So Fairy Tale” OST)
• Lee Mu Jin – “Episode”
• Lee Young Ji – “Small Girl” (Feat. D.O.)
• Leellamarz – “Boys Like Girls” (Feat. Gist, Jayci yucca)
• Lim Young Woong – “Warmth”
• LUCY – “The knight who can’t die and the silk cradle”
• N.Flying – “Into You”
• Nayeon – “ABCD”
• NCT 127 – “Fact Check”
• NewJeans – “How Sweet”
• NewJeans – “Supernatural”
• PLAVE – “WAY 4 LUV”
• QWER – “T.B.H”
• Red Velvet – “Cosmic”
• RIIZE – “Impossible”
• RIIZE – “Love 119”
• RM – “LOST!”
• Roy Kim – “Whenever, Wherever” (“My Demon” OST)
• SEVENTEEN – “God of Music”
• SEVENTEEN – “MAESTRO”
• Stray Kids – “LALALALA”
• Sung Si Kyung & Naul – “Even for a moment”
• Sunmi – “Balloon in Love”
• Taemin – “Guilty”
• Taeyeon – “Dream” (“Welcome to Samdalri” OST)
• Taeyeon – “To. X”

Album of the Year

Eligibility for the Album of the Year category requires that albums have sold over 1 million copies. The nominees are:

• aespa – “Armageddon”
• ATEEZ – “THE WORLD EP.FIN : WILL”
• Baekhyun – “Hello, World”
• ENHYPEN – “ROMANCE : UNTOLD”
• (G)I-DLE – “2”
• IVE – “I’VE MINE”
• Jungkook – “GOLDEN”
• LE SSERAFIM – “EASY”
• NCT 127 – “Fact Check”
• NCT DREAM – “DREAM()SCAPE”
• RIIZE – “RIIZING”
• SEVENTEEN – “SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN”
• Stray Kids – “樂-STAR” (“ROCK-STAR”)
• TWICE – “With YOU-th”
• TXT – “The Name Chapter: FREEFALL”
• ZEROBASEONE – “MELTING POINT”

Fans’ Choice Categories

Fans’ Choice Male

• 8TURN, AB6IX, ASTRO, ATBO, ATEEZ, B1A4, Baekhyun, BamBam, B.D.U, BOYNEXTDOOR, CRAVITY, DAY6, D.O., ENHYPEN, EPEX, EVNNE, FTISLAND, Hui, j-hope, Jimin, Jungkook, JUST B, Key, NCT 127, NCT DREAM, NCT WISH, ONEUS, P1Harmony, PLAVE, RIIZE, RM, SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, Super Junior, Taemin, TEMPEST, THE BOYZ, THE NEW SIX, TIOT, TREASURE, TWS, TXT, V, WayV, WOODZ, Xdinary Heroes, xikers, YOUNITE, ZEROBASEONE, Zico

Fans’ Choice Female

• aespa, ARTMS, BABYMONSTER, BADVILLAIN, BIBI, Billlie, Blackswan, BoA, Choi Ye Na, Chungha, CLASS, CRAXY, Dreamcatcher, EVERGLOW, FIFTY FIFTY, fromis_9, (G)I-DLE, H1-KEY, Hwasa, HyunA, ILLIT, ITZY, IU, IVE, Jennie, Jeon Somi, Kep1er, KISS OF LIFE, Kwon Eun Bi, LE SSERAFIM, Lee Young Ji, LIGHTSUM, MEOVV, Moonbyul, NewJeans, NMIXX, OH MY GIRL, QWER, Red Velvet, STAYC, Sunmi, Taeyeon, tripleS, TWICE, UNIS, VIVIZ, Weeekly, Wheein, WOOAH, Young Posse

Song of the Year

The Song of the Year nominees include a variety of hits from top artists:

• aespa – “Armageddon”
• aespa – “Supernova”
• AKMU – “Hero”
• BIBI – “Bam Yang Gang”
• Crush – “Love You With All My Heart” (“Queen of Tears” OST)
• Davichi – “A very personal story”
• DAY6 – “Welcome to the Show”
• DEAN – “DIE 4 YOU”
• ECLIPSE – “Sudden Shower” (“Lovely Runner” OST)
• ENHYPEN – “Sweet Venom”
• (G)I-DLE – “Fate”
• (G)I-DLE – “Super Lady”
• GroovyRoom – “Yes or No” (Feat. Huh Yunjin, Crush)
• Hwasa – “NA”
• Hyukoh, Sunset Rollercoaster – “Young Man”
• ILLIT – “Magnetic”
• IU – “Love wins all”
• IVE – “Baddie”
• IVE – “HEYA”
• Jay Park – “Taxi Blurr” (Feat. Natty)
• Jennie – “You & Me”
• Jimin – “Who”
• Jungkook – “Standing Next to You”
• K.will – “No Sad Song For My Broken Heart” (Prod. Yoon Sang)
• Key – “Pleasure Shop”
• LE SSERAFIM – “CRAZY”
• LE SSERAFIM – “EASY”
• Lee Chang Sub – “Heavenly fate” (“A Not So Fairy Tale” OST)
• Lee Mu Jin – “Episode”
• Lee Young Ji – “Small Girl” (Feat. D.O.)
• Leellamarz – “Boys Like Girls” (Feat. Gist, Jayci yucca)
• Lim Young Woong – “Warmth”
• LUCY – “The knight who can’t die and the silk cradle”
• N.Flying – “Into You”
• Nayeon – “ABCD”
• NCT 127 – “Fact Check”
• NewJeans – “How Sweet”
• NewJeans – “Supernatural”
• PLAVE – “WAY 4 LUV”
• QWER – “T.B.H”
• Red Velvet – “Cosmic”
• RIIZE – “Impossible”
• RIIZE – “Love 119”
• RM – “LOST!”
• Roy Kim – “Whenever, Wherever” (“My Demon” OST)
• SEVENTEEN – “God of Music”
• SEVENTEEN – “MAESTRO”
• Stray Kids – “LALALALA”
• Sung Si Kyung & Naul – “Even for a moment”
• Sunmi – “Balloon in Love”
• Taemin – “Guilty”
• Taeyeon – “Dream” (“Welcome to Samdalri” OST)
• Taeyeon – “To. X”

Fans’ Choice Categories and Voting Process

The Fans’ Choice categories allow fans to have a significant impact on the awards. Voting will take place in two rounds:

• Round 1: October 1 to October 25

  • 90% votes from Mnet Plus
  • 10% votes from X platform

• Round 2: November 1 to November 15

  • 90% votes from Mnet Plus
  • 10% votes from X platform
  • Additional 10% real-time Mnet Plus votes

Fans can vote for their favorite Male and Female artists, as well as the Fans’ Choice of the Year. The voting process ensures that both dedicated fanbases and general public opinions are considered in determining the winners.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the 2024 MAMA Awards, the music must have been released between October 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. This period ensures that the awards recognize the most recent and impactful contributions to the K-pop industry.

Conclusion: Celebrating the Best in K-Pop

The 2024 MAMA Awards promise to be an exciting event, honoring the achievements of K-pop artists who have made significant strides over the past year. With a diverse range of nominees and a transparent voting process, the awards highlight the talent and hard work of both new and established artists.

As fans eagerly await the ceremony in Los Angeles and Osaka, the anticipation continues to build. Whether supporting their favorite groups or discovering new talents, the MAMA Awards remain a cornerstone event in the K-pop calendar, celebrating the vibrant and dynamic world of Korean music.