2026 MAMA Awards nominations have placed BTS and BIGBANG among the leading contenders, with fan voting opening on October 12. BTS secured five nominations across major categories, including artist of the year, best male group and album of the year for ARIRANG. The group also earned recognition for best vocal performance group with “SWIM” and best music video for “2.0.”
BTS member J-Hope received two additional nominations for his feature on LE SSERAFIM’s “SPAGHETTI.” The track will compete for best collaboration and best dance performance female group. Meanwhile, BIGBANG earned nominations in four categories, including artist of the year and best male group. The group also received recognition for best music video and best dance performance male group for “BiiiG.”
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BIGBANG members Taeyang and G-Dragon also secured individual nominations. Taeyang earned three nods for artist of the year, best male artist and best dance performance male solo for “LIVE FAST DIE SLOW.” G-Dragon received a best collaboration nomination for his feature on aespa’s “WDA (Whole Different Animal).” He previously won artist of the year at the 2025 MAMA Awards, adding interest to his return to this year’s nominee list.
TOMORROW X TOGETHER, widely known as TXT, received three nominations, including artist of the year, best male group and album of the year for 7th year: a moment of stillness in the thorns. Member Yeonjun also earned three solo nominations for artist of the year, best male artist and best dance performance male solo with “Ice Cream.” Several other acts secured five nominations each, including MAMAMOO, aespa, ATEEZ, IVE, LE SSERAFIM, ILLIT and CORTIS. MAMAMOO’s total includes four nominations for its youngest member, Hwasa.
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The 2026 MAMA Awards will take place on November 20 and 21 at Kyocera Dome Osaka in Japan. Organisers will hold the ceremony across two nights, celebrating achievements in K-pop and Korean music. International fans will also be able to watch the event live through CJ ENM’s Mnet Plus platform. With fan voting now underway, the nominated artists will compete for recognition across several major categories.