MAMA 2025 is back for its 26th year with “Uh-heung,” the fiery and unfiltered energy that defines K-pop
MAMA 2025 a.k.a. the Mnet Asian Music Awards marks the show’s grand return to Hong Kong after seven years with the official theme “Hear My Roar: Uh-heung.” The two-day event is set to happen on November 28 to 29 at the newly built Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong boasting a capacity of 50,000 people.
MAMA 2025 producer Lee Young-joo explained that the theme takes inspiration from the Korean popular expression “Uh-heung,” a word that embodies “a confident cry to embrace oneself fully and live authentically beyond boundaries of region, race and culture. With this year’s MAMA, they hope to amplify that spirit.
Also Read: Pop Review: XLOV shows “RIZZ” with New Album, UXLXVE
Check out which K-pop arists made the cut for the MAMA 2025 nominations:
Best Male Artist
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- MARK
- BAEKHYUN
- JIN
- G-DRAGON
- J-HOPE
Best Female Artist
-
-
YUQI ((G)I-DLE)
-
JENNIE (BLACKPINK)
-
JISOO (BLACKPINK)
-
TAEYEON (Girls’ Generation)
-
ROSÉ (BLACKPINK)
-
Best New Artist
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- AHOF
- ALLDAY PROJECT
- Baby DON’T Cry
- CLOSE YOUR EYES
- CORTIS
- Hearts2Hearts
- IDID
- izna
- KickFli
- KiiiKiii
Best Male Group
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- SEVENTEEN
- TXT
- BOYNEXTDOOR
- ENHYPEN
- RIIZE
- Stray Kids
- ZEROBASEONE
Best Female Group
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- aespa
- BABYMONSTER
- i-dle
- IVE
- LE SSERAFIM
- TWICE
Best Vocal Performance Solo
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- DOYOUNG “Memory”
- Roy Kim “If You Ask Me What Love Is”
- Lee Mujin “Coming of Age Story”
- Taeyeon “Letter to Myself”
- Rose “toxic till the end”
Best Vocal Performance Group
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- DAVICHI “Stitching”
- HIGHLIGHT “Endless Ending”
- MEOVV “DROP TOP”
- TREASURE “Yellow”
- ZEROBASEONE “Doctor! Doctor!”
Best Rap & Hip Hop Performance
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- HAON “Skrr (feat. GISELLE of aespa”
- Dynamicduo & GUMMY “Take Care”
- BIG Naughty “MUSIC (feat. LEE CHANHYUK)”
- pH-1 “Life is a Movie (feat. Jung Zi So)”
- TABLO & RM “Stop The Rain”
Best Collaboration
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- MARK “Fraktsiya (feat. Lee Young Ji)”
- JENNIE & Doechii “ExtraL (feat. Doechii)”
- G-DRAGON “TOO BAD (feat. Anderson .Paak)”
- ROSE, Bruno Mars “APT.”
- V & Park Hyo Shin “Winter Ahead (With Park Hyo Shin)”
Best OST Nominee
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- Park Hyo Shin “HERO (from the Film “Firefighters)” (Firefighters OST)
- TOMORROW X TOGETHER “When the Day Comes” (Resident Playbook OST)
- BOYNEXTDOOR “Never Loved This Way Before” (Odd Girl Out OST)
- HUNTR/X “Golden” (NETFLIX’s KPOP DEMON HUNTERS OST)
- Saja Boys “Soda Pop” (NETFLIX’s KPOP DEMON HUNTERS OST)
Best Music Video Nominee
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- LEE CHANHYUK “Vivid Lala Love”
- JENNIE “ZEN”
- aespa “Dirty Work”
- ALLDAY PROJECT “FAMOUS”
- BLACKPINK “JUMP”
Best Band Performance
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- N.Flying “Everlasting”
- CNBLUE “A Sleepless Night”
- DAY6 “Maybe Tomorrow”
- QWER “Dear”
- Xdinary Heroes “Beautiful Life”
Best Choreography
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- JENNIE “like JENNIE”
- aespa “Whiplash”
- ALLDAY PROJECT “WICKED”
- CORTIS “GO!”
- G-DRAGON “TOO BAD (feat. Anderson .Paak)”
Best Dance Performance Male Solo
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- MARK “1999”
- KEY “HUNTER”
- G-DRAGON “TOO BAD (feat. Anderson .Paak)”
- j-hope “MONA LISA”
- KAI “Wait On Me”
Best Dance Performance Female Solo
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- DAYOUNG “body”
- MINNIE “HER”
- JENNIE “like JENNIE”
- JISOO “earthquake”
- KARINA (aespa) “UP”
Best Dance Performance Male Group
-
- SEVENTEEN “THUNDER”
- BOYNEXTDOOR “IF I SAY, I LOVE YOU”
- NCT DREAM “When I’m With You”
- NCT WISH “poppop”
- PLAVE “Dash”
- RIIZE “Fly Up”
- TWS “Countdown!”
Best Dance Performance Female Group
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- ILLIT “Cherish (My Love)”
- aespa “Whiplash”
- BABYMONSTER “DRIP”
- BLACKPINK “JUMP”
- IVE “REBEL HEART”
- LE SSERAFIM “HOT”
Fans’ Choice Male Nominees:
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- 10CM
- 82MAJOR
- 8turn
- DAESUNG
- D.O
- DOYOUNG
- Jay Park
- BAEKHYUN
- SEVENTEEN
- ASTRO
- AHOF
- Ampers&One
- Epik High
- N.Flying
- Lee Mujin
- JIN
- TOMORROW X TOGETHER
- AB6IX
- ARrC
- ATEEZ
- BOYNEXTDOOR
- BTOB
- CLOSE YOUR EYES
- CNBLUE
- CORTIS
- CRAVITY
- DAY6
- ENHYPEN
- EVNNE
- G-DRAGON
- GOT7
- IDID
- j-hope
- KAI
- KickFlip
- NCT DREAM
- NCT WISH
- NEXZ
- P1Harmony
- PLAVE
- RIIZE
- SHINee
- Stray Kids
- Super Junior
- TIOT
- TREASURE
- TWS
- WayV
- Xdinary Heroes
- ZEROBASEONE
Fans’ Choice Female Nominees:
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- DAVICHI
- BoA
- BOL4
- BIBI
- SEULGI
- IRENE
- IU
- ILLIT
- OH MY GIRL
- JEON SOMI
- JOY
- CHUNGHA
- CHUU
- Kep1er
- TAEYEON
- FIFTY FIFTY
- HWASA
- HYOLYN
- aespa
- ALLDAY PROJECT
- Apink
- ARTMS
- AtHeart
- Baby DONT Cry
- BABYMONSTER
- Billlie
- BLACKPINK
- fromis_9
- H1-KEY
- Hearts2Hearts
- i-dle
- ITZY
- IVE
- izna
- KARD
- KiiiKiii
- KISS OF LIFE
- LE SSERAFIM
- MEOVV
- NiziU
- NMIXX
- QWER
- SAY MY NAME
- STAYC
- tripleS
- TWICE
- UNIS
- VIVIZ
- WENDY
- YENA
Song of the Year
-
- aespa “Dirty Work”
- aespa “Whiplash”
- ALLDAY PROJECT “FAMOUS”
- ALLDAY PROJECT “WICKED”
- BABYMONSTER “DRIP”
- BIG Naughty “MUSIC (feat. Lee Chanhyuk)”
- BLACKPINK “JUMP”
- BOYNEXTDOOR “IF I SAY, I LOVE YOU”
- BOYNEXTDOOR “Never Loved This Way Before”
- CNBLUE – “A Sleepless Night”
- CORTIS “GO!”
- Davichi – “Stitching”
- DAY6 “Maybe Tomorrow”
- Dayoung “body”
- Doyoung “Memory”
- Dynamic Duo and Gummy “Take Care”
- G-Dragon “TOO BAD (feat. Anderson .Paak)”
- HAON “Skrr (feat. Giselle)”
- HIGHLIGHT “Endless Ending”
- HUNTR/X “GOLDEN”
- ILLIT “Cherish (My Love)”
- IVE “REBEL HEART”
- j-hope “MONA LISA”
- JENNIE “like JENNIE”
- JENNIE “ZEN”
- JENNIE and Doechii “ExtraL”
- JISOO “earthquake”
- Kai “Wait On Me”
- Karina “UP”
- Key “HUNTER”
- LE SSERAFIM “HOT”
- Lee Chanhyuk “Vivid LaLa Love”
- Lee Mu Jin “Coming of Age Story”
- Mark “1999”
- Mark “Fraktsiya (feat. Lee Young Ji)”
- MEOVV “DROP TOP”
- Minnie “HER”
- N.Flying “Everlasting”
- NCT DREAM “WHEN I’M WITH YOU”
- NCT WISH “poppop”
- Park Hyo Shin “HERO”
- pH-1 “Life Is A Movie (feat. Jung Zi So)”
- PLAVE “Dash”
- QWER “Dear”
- RIIZE “Fly Up”
- Rosé “toxic till the end”
- Rosé and Bruno Mars “APT.”
- Roy Kim “If You Ask Me What Love Is”
- Saja Boys “Soda Pop”
- SEVENTEEN “THUNDER”
- Tablo & RM “Stop The Rain”
- Taeyeon “Letter To Myself”
- TREASURE “YELLOW”
- TWS “Countdown”
- TOMORROW X TOGETHER “When the Day Comes”
- V “Winter Ahead (with Park Hyo Shin)”
- Xdinary Heroes “Beautiful Life”
- ZEROBASEONE “Doctor! Doctor!”
Album of the Year (only albums which sold over 1 million copies are eligible)
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- aespa – Whiplash
- ATEEZ – GOLDEN HOUR : Part.2
- BABYMONSTER – DRIP
- Baekhyun – Essence of Reverie
- BOYNEXTDOOR – No Genre
- ENHYPEN – DESIRE : UNLEASH
- G-Dragon – Übermensch
- i-dle – We are
- IVE – IVE EMPATHY
- Jin – Happy
- NCT DREAM – DREAMSCAPE
- NCT WISH – COLOR
- PLAVE – Caligo Pt.1
- RIIZE – ODYSSEY
- SEVENTEEN – SPILL THE FEELS
- Stray Kids – KARMA
- TXT – The Star Chapter: TOGETHER
- ZEROBASEONE – NEVER SAY NEVER
And there you have it! Which artists or groups are you rooting for this MAMA 2025?
Let’s talk about it while we anticipate the most awaited K-pop awards show of the year. The full list of MAMA 2025 nominees is also uploaded on Mnet’s official Youtube Channel.
Source: Billboard Philippines, Korea Herald, Yonhap News Agency
