Taeyang, G-Dragon and Daesung of BIGBANG perform during the 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival – Weekend 2 – Day 3 on April 19, 2026 in Indio, California. (Photo by Timothy Norris/Getty Images for Coachella)
Getty Images for Coachella
The nominees for the 2026 MAMA Awards are in, and this year’s race for one of K-pop’s biggest award shows pits a crowded field of today’s chart-topping groups against legacy acts with deep solo rosters.
CJ ENM unveiled the nominations on October 12 with the first round of fan voting opened immediately after. With Visa as the title sponsor, the ceremony is set to take place over two nights, November 20-21, at the Kyocera Dome Osaka in Japan, the third time the stadium has hosted the show, following the 2022 and 2024 editions. The awards will also stream live worldwide on CJ ENM’s Mnet Plus platform.
Music released between October 1, 2025 and September 30, 2026 is eligible for the 2026 MAMAs.
BIGBANG and its members lead this year’s field with eight nominations including their group release and solo work by G-Dragon, Taeyang, and Daesung. BIGBANG earns four nominations on its own: Best Male Group, Artist of the Year, plus Best Music Video and Best Dance Performance Male Group for their comeback single “BiiiG.” Taeyang adds three more as a soloist: Best Male Artist, Artist of the Year, and Best Dance Performance Male Solo for his single “LIVE FAST DIE SLOW.” G-Dragon earned another nod with his feature on girl group aespa’s “WDA (Whole Different Animal)” in the Best Collaboration category. The haul arrives as BIGBANG marks its 20th anniversary and a year after G-Dragon won Artist of the Year at the 2025 ceremony.
BTS follows close behind with seven. The group’s five nominations span Best Male Group, Artist of the Year, Best Vocal Performance Group for “SWIM,” Best Music Video for “2.0” and Album of the Year for ARIRANG. J-Hope adds two more to the group’s tally through his feature on LE SSERAFIM’s “SPAGHETTI,” nominated in both Best Collaboration and Best Dance Performance Female Group.
Tomorrow X Together ranks third with six. The group is up for Best Male Group, Artist of the Year and Album of the Year for 7TH YEAR: A Moment of Stillness in the Thorns. Member Yeonjun adds three more solo nominations: Best Male Artist, Artist of the Year and Best Dance Performance Male Solo for “Ice Cream.”
Another seven acts sit just behind the frontrunner with five nominations each: MAMAMOO, aespa, ATEEZ, IVE, LE SSERAFIM, ILLIT, and CORTIS. LE SSERAFIM claims two of the five Best Collaboration slots for “SPAGHETTI” and “ICONIC BY MISTAKE” with ILLIT and KATSEYE. CORTIS, a Best New Artist nominee last year, competes in Best Choreography and Best Dance Performance Male Group for “REDRED,” as well as Album of the Year for GREENGREEN. MAMAMOO reaches five nominations, largely thanks to youngest member Hwasa, who earns four nominations, including Best Vocal Performance Solo and Best Music Video for “Good Goodbye.” The group’s special single “4 Flowers” also earns a nod for Best Vocal Performance Group.
This year’s MAMA Awards concept is “A Music Interstellar.” Show organizer CJ aims to stretch the event beyond the ceremony with an entire MAMA FAN FESTA. The new event kicks off on November 9 with food, activations, and chances for fans to win tickets and red carpet access to the upcoming MAMA Awards. More details will be revealed in the coming weeks.
Check out the full list of nominations and stay tuned for more updates including the full list of Song of the Year nominees coming soon.
2026 MAMA Awards Nominations
Best New Artist
- ALPHA DRIVE ONE
- AND2BLE
- EVAN
- H//PE Princess
- hrtz.wav
- LNGSHOT
- MODYSSEY
- OURBIRTHDAY
- TUIDE
- UNCHILD
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 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 OST
- 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 (Nominees for the artist categories are automatically nominated)
- 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
Song of the Year (A “Best Song Top 10” will be revealed at a later date for the 2026 Song of the Year nominees)
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
The 2026 MAMA Awards take place live November 20-21 at the Kyocera Dome Osaka in Japan and will stream worldwide on Mnet Plus. Check back for more details, including the full Song of the Year nominees, coming soon.
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