MAMA Awards 2024: what are the K-pop awards and are they similar to the BRITS?

• The MAMA Awards, a celebration of K-pop and Asian music, have announced their theme for this year’s ceremony.
• The awards show is set to take place at both the KYOCERA Dome in Osaka and the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
• But are the MAMAs similar to the BRIT Awards or another ceremony in the West?

K-pop fans, take note - the theme for this year’s MAMA Awards has been announced, ahead of its dual ceremony in the United States and Japan later this year. 

The organisers of the event this year have themed it as “BIG BLUR : What is Real?” which media outlet Korea JoongAng Daily described as “ how the boundaries between music, culture and preferences have become ambiguous.” 

But perhaps the bigger story is that for the first time in the award’s history, an event is set to take place on American soil 24 hours before a separate ceremony will take place across two days at the KYOCERA Dome in Osaka, Japan. 

The US event is to be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, signalling just how significant K-pop has become for listeners outside of South Korea; which makes sense when you consider with each year the likes of Jungkook or NewJeans keep picking up awards at Western ceremonies outside of the K-pop categories.

That’s not to say this year’s ceremony isn’t without controversy: Koreaboo, one of the foremost K-pop news websites, explored netizens' frustrations online regarding a change to the Album Of The Year category.

In a statement, along with adding a new category for choreography, organisers said that rather than being limited to sales figures, the new criteria would look at factors such as planning, music, artwork quality, visuals and the overall impact. 

As Koreaboo explained: “Many fans found faults and criticised the decision. Along with announcing the changes after the “tracking period” ends, the new criteria seemed less transparent and more subjective, meaning it would be harder to figure out what the judges were looking for.”

But before going into any further details, you might be asking yourself “what on earth are the MAMA Awards” or “are they a bit like the BRIT Awards?” Well, we’d be happy to answer that ahead of this year’s ceremony. 

What are the MAMA Awards?

The MAMA Awards, short for Mnet Asian Music Awards, was established in 1999 by South Korean music platform and television network Mnet, focusing on the achievements in both K-pop and Asian music, recognizing artists, songs and albums across all categories - but with the rise of K-pop, it tends to have more on a focus on that genre. 

Winners are determined through a combination of fan voting, jury evaluation, and digital sales data, reflecting both popular opinion and industry standards, with the awards ceremony often includes elaborate performances, showcasing the latest trends in K-pop, and typically features a star-studded lineup of presenters and performers.

What are the differences between the MAMA Awards and the BRIT Awards?

While both are similar in terms of their presentation to the public and live audiences, where the BRIT Awards concentrate on a broader range of music and styles, the MAMA Awards lean more towards K-pop after interest in the West took off. 

Both award shows are known for their high-energy performances and elaborate stage productions, making them major entertainment events in their respective regions and while both awards involve fan voting, the specific mechanisms and criteria for nominations and awards differ, with the BRIT Awards focusing more on industry professionals' input.

If we were to compare it to an awards ceremony in the West, it would be comparable to the American Music Awards, which celebrates popular music across various genres, showcasing a wide range of artists, including both mainstream and emerging talents and allowing fan voting rather than industry types making their decisions.

The 2024 MAMA Awards will take place on November 21 2024 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California then at the KYOCERA Dome on November 22 and 23 2024. The event is expected to once again stream on Mnet’s YouTube channel - for more details, visit Mnet’s English site.