K-pop giants absent from Grammys' new Asian pop category compete for major awards at the 2026 MAMA Awards
The 2026 MAMA Awards are shaping up to be a fiercely contested showdown among K-pop's biggest names, including BTS, Blackpink and Stray Kids — all of whom are absent from the 2027 Grammy Awards' inaugural Asian pop category.
The MAMA Awards, one of K-pop's most prominent music awards ceremonies, are organized by CJ ENM and take place Nov. 20-21 at Kyocera Dome Osaka in Japan.
The nominations unveiled Monday arguably feature a stronger lineup of established K-pop stars than those in the Grammys' newly introduced best Asian pop music performance category.
The announcement's timing is particularly notable; the Recording Academy also opened its first round of voting for the 2027 Grammy Awards on Monday.
BTS and Stray Kids, two of K-pop's biggest global acts, chose not to submit music for Grammy consideration this year. BTS' decision followed the introduction of the new Asian pop category, while Stray Kids' agency, JYP Entertainment, confirmed the group's absence without specifying a reason.
Blackpink, meanwhile, is effectively excluded from the new category because its eligible releases from February's EP "Deadline" are performed entirely in English.
The Grammy category introduced this year recognizes performances in Asian pop genres, including K-pop, J-pop and C-pop, but requires recordings to feature "meaningful use" of at least one Asian language. Songs performed entirely in English are ineligible but may compete in other Grammy categories.
A crowded field
MAMA presents four grand prizes, known as daesang: artist of the year, song of the year, album of the year, and fans' choice of the year.
As of Tuesday, nominees had been announced for artist of the year and album of the year, while the remaining two categories had yet to finalize their contenders.
The artist of the year lineup includes BTS, Blackpink, Big Bang, Stray Kids, Enhypen and Aespa, bringing together veteran K-pop acts and younger groups that have built substantial international followings.
The award is determined by judges' evaluations, accounting for 40 percent; domestic and global digital music performance, accounting for 30 percent; and physical album sales, accounting for the remaining 30 percent.
Competition is similarly strong in album of the year, with BTS' "Arirang," Blackpink's "Deadline," Stray Kids' "This & That," EXO's "Reverxe," Ateez's "Golden Hour: Part.5" and Enhypen's "The Sin: Vanish" among the 18 nominees.
Only albums that have sold at least 1 million copies qualify for the award, determined by physical album sales (60 percent) and judges' evaluations (40 percent).
The nominations also reflect the growing competition between K-pop generations, with long-established groups such as Big Bang and EXO appearing alongside acts that debuted considerably later.
More races to watch
The race for song of the year is still taking shape, but potential contenders include BTS' "Swim," Jennie's "Less Than a Lover," Big Bang's "BiiiG," Hwasa's "Good Goodbye" and Illit's "It's Me."
Tracks selected for the best song top 10 will advance to the song of the year competition.
The initial selection is based equally on domestic and global digital music performance. The grand prize will then be determined by judges' evaluations, accounting for 50 percent, and digital music performance, making up the remaining half.
Fans' choice of the year, meanwhile, is determined entirely through fan voting.
BTS, Stray Kids, Enhypen, Big Bang and Blackpink are among the notable contenders, with their extensive global fan bases potentially playing a decisive role. All five are included in the official first-round voting lineup, which opened Monday and runs through Oct. 22.
The top 20 male acts and top 20 female acts will advance to the second round, scheduled for Oct. 28 to Nov. 18. The grand prize will be determined through voting on Mnet Plus and X, with an additional live vote during the awards ceremony.
jaaykim@heraldcorp.com