BTS received five nominations for the 2026 MAMA Awards, which were announced on Monday (Oct. 12), the same day that first-round voting began for the 2027 Grammy Awards, which, for the first time, contains a dedicated Asian pop category, best Asian pop music performance.
BTS is nominated for artist of the year at the MAMA Awards,as well as best male group, album of the year for ARIRANG, best vocal performance group for “SWIM” and best music video for “2.0.” In addition, group member J-Hope received two nods for his feature on LE SSERAFIM’s “SPAGHETTI,” nominated in both best collaboration and best dance performance female group.
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Another leading K-pop group, BIGBANG, received four nominations plus four more for solo projects by group members Taeyang and G-Dragon. BIGBANG is up for artist of the year and best male group, plus best music video and best dance performance male group for “BiiiG.” Taeyang received three nods as a soloist: artist of the year, best male artist and best dance performance male solo for his single “LIVE FAST DIE SLOW.” G-Dragon earned a nod with his feature on aespa’s “WDA (Whole Different Animal)” in the best collaboration category. G-Dragon won artist of the year at the 2025 ceremony.
TOMORROW X TOGETHER received three nods – artist of the year, best male group and album of the year for 7th year: a moment of stillness in the thorns. In addition, group member Yeonjun received three solo nominations: artist of the year, best male artist and best dance performance male solo for “Ice Cream.”
Seven acts received five nominations each: MAMAMOO (counting four nods for its youngest member, Hwasa), aespa, ATEEZ, IVE, LE SSERAFIM, ILLIT and CORTIS.
The first round of fan voting is already underway. The awards ceremony is set to take place over two nights, Nov. 20-21, at the Kyocera Dome Osaka in Japan. The awards will also stream live worldwide on CJ ENM’s Mnet Plus platform. Music released between Oct. 1, 2025 and Sept. 30, 2026 is eligible for this year’s awards.
Other top winners at last year’s ceremony, in addition to G-Dragon, were ROSÉ & Bruno Mars’s “APT.” (song of the year), Stray Kids’ KARMA (album of the year) and ENHYPEN (fans’choice of the year).
Here’s the full list of nominees for the 2026 MAMA Awards, except for song of the year, which will be announced soon.
Best Male Artist
- Doh Kyung Soo (D.O. of EXO)
- Taeyang of BIGBANG
- Taeyong of NCT
- Yeonjun of TOMORROW X TOGETHER
- Young K of DAY6
Best Female Artist
- Hwasa of MAMAMOO
- Irene of Red Velvet
- Soyeon of i-dle
- Taeyeon of Girls’ Generation
- YENA
Best Male Group
- ATEEZ
- BIGBANG
- BTS
- CORTIS
- ENHYPEN
- NCT WISH
- Stray Kids
- TOMORROW X TOGETHER
Best Female Group
- aespa
- BABYMONSTER
- BLACKPINK
- Hearts2Hearts
- ILLIT
- IVE
- LE SSERAFIM
- NMIXX
Best New Artist
- ALPHA DRIVE ONE
- AND2BLE
- EVAN
- H//PE Princess
- hrtz.wav
- LNGSHOT
- MODYSSEY
- OURBIRTHDAY
- TUIDE
- UNCHILD
Best Vocal Performance Solo
- Hwasa of MAMAMOO – “Good Goodbye”
- IU – “Unknown Planet”
- Jennie of BLACKPINK – “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 of YOASOBI – “DUET”
Best Original Soundtrack
- Kim Min Seok of MeloMance – “Love Language” (Can This Love Be Translated? OST)
- Migak Boys – “My Flavor” (The Legend of Kitchen Soldier OST)
- Sung Si Kyung – “Anytime anyhow” (Surely Tomorrow OST)
- Suzy – “A Day” (EXchange 4 OST)
- Young K of DAY6 – “Season of Us” (My Royal Nemesis OST)
Best Music Video
- BIGBANG – “BiiiG”
- BTS – “2.0”
- Hwasa of MAMAMOO – “Good Goodbye”
- i-dle – “Mono (Feat. skaiwater)”
- MEOVV – “DDI RO RI”
Best Collaboration
- aespa – “WDA (Whole Different Animal) [feat. G-Dragon of BIGBANG]”
- Dayoung of WJSN & Jay Park – “FLIRTY”
- LE SSERAFIM – “SPAGHETTI (feat. j-hope of BTS)”
- LE SSERAFIM, ILLIT & KATSEYE – “ICONIC BY MISTAKE”
- Parc Jae Jung & Sullyoon of NMIXX – “Always”
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 of SHINee – “TOUGH LOVE”
- Taemin of SHINee – “FLOAT”
- Taeyang of BIGBANG – “LIVE FAST DIE SLOW”
- Taeyong of NCT – “WYLD”
- Yeonjun of TOMORROW X TOGETHER – “Ice Cream”
Best Dance Performance Female Solo
- BIBI – “BUMPA”
- Dayoung of WJSN – “What’s a girl to do”
- Soyeon of i-dle – “I’m gonna TOESA”
- YENA – “Catch Catch”
- Yuna of 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 of BTS)”
- NMIXX – “Blue Valentine”
Artist of the Year
- Aespa
- ALPHA DRIVE ONE
- AND2BLE
- ATEEZ
- BABYMONSTER
- BIGBANG
- BLACKPINK
- BTS
- CORTIS
- Doh Kyung Soo (D.O. of EXO)
- ENHYPEN
- EVAN
- H//PE Princess
- Hearts2Hearts
- hrtz.wav
- Hwasa of MAMAMOO
- ILLIT
- Irene of Red Velvet
- IVE
- LE SSERAFIM
- LNGSHOT
- MODYSSEY
- NCT WISH
- NMIXX
- OURBIRTHDAY
- Soyeon of i-dle
- Stray Kids
- Taeyang of BIGBANG
- Taeyeon of Girls’ Generation
- Taeyong of NCT
- TUIDE
- TOMORROW X TOGETHER
- UNCHILD
- YENA
- Yeonjun of TOMORROW X TOGETHER
- Young K of DAY6
Album of the Year
(Only Albums that sold more than 1 Million copies are eligible)
- &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
- TOMORROW X TOGETHER – 7TH YEAR: A Moment of Stillness in the Thorns
Fans’ Choice Male
- &TEAM
- 82MAJOR
- 8TURN
- AEN
- AHOF
- ALPHA DRIVE ONE
- AND2BLE
- ATEEZ
- AxMxP
- B1A4
- BIGBANG
- BOYNEXTDOOR
- BTS
- CLOSE YOUR EYES
- CNBLUE
- CORTIS
- CRAVITY
- DAY6
- ENHYPEN
- EVAN
- EVNNE
- EXO
- FLARE U
- hrtz.wav
- HUI
- IDID
- JANNABI
- Jay Park
- KickFlip
- LNGSHOT
- NCT 127
- NCT DREAM
- NCT WISH
- NEXZ
- NouerA
- Park Ji Hoon
- PLAVE
- RIIZE
- SEVENTEEN
- SHINee
- Stray Kids
- Super Junior
- TREASURE
- TWS
- TOMORROW X TOGETHER
- WOODZ
- XLOV
- XODIAC
- ZEROBASEONE
- ZICO
Fans’ Choice Female
- aespa
- AKMU
- ALLDAY PROJECT
- Apink
- APOKI
- ARTMS
- AtHeart
- Baby DONT Cry
- BABYMONSTER
- BIBI
- Billlie
- BLACKPINK
- Chuu
- CSR
- DAVICHI
- Dayoung of WJSN
- dodree
- EJel
- FIFTY FIFTY
- fromis_9
- HANRORO
- Hearts2Hearts
- i-dle
- I.O.I
- ILLIT
- ITZY
- IVE
- izna
- Kep1er
- KiiiKiii
- KISS OF LIFE
- LE SSERAFIM
- Lee Young Ji
- MAMAMOO
- MEOVV
- Mimi of Oh My Girl
- NMIXX
- Red Velvet
- RESCENE
- Taeyeon of Girls’ Generation
- TUIDE
- TWICE
- UNIS
- VVUP
- X:IN
- Yena
- Yoon Mi Rae
- Yoona of Girls’ Generation
- Younha
- Yuju