BTS, Blackpink and Stray Kids Named in 2026 MAMA Awards Nominations

Photos (left to right): 티비텐 TV10 / CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Truly Madly Deeply / CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · JYP Entertainment (via JYPAudition) / CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Nominations for the 2026 MAMA Awards have been unveiled, and BTS, Blackpink and Stray Kids appear among the main contenders for the top honors. The ceremony is organized by CJ ENM and takes place Nov. 20-21 at Kyocera Dome Osaka in Japan. It is one of K-pop's most prominent annual music awards shows. [1]

Latest official video: BLACKPINK - DEADLINE JACKET MAKING FILM · BLACKPINK

Latest official video: BTS in Toronto 예고 · BANGTANTV

Who is up for the grand prizes

MAMA gives four grand prizes, called daesang in Korean: artist of the year, song of the year, album of the year and fans' choice of the year. So far, nominees have been named for artist of the year and album of the year. The artist of the year list includes BTS, Blackpink, Big Bang, Stray Kids, Enhypen and Aespa. Album of the year has 18 nominees, among them BTS' "Arirang," Blackpink's "Deadline," Stray Kids' "This & That," EXO's "Reverxe," Ateez's "Golden Hour: Part.5" and Enhypen's "The Sin: Vanish." Only albums that have sold at least 1 million copies are eligible for the album prize. [1]

How winners will be decided

Artist of the year is weighted 40 percent to judges' evaluations, 30 percent to domestic and global digital music performance, and 30 percent to physical album sales. Song of the year is still taking shape. Early 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 placing in the best song top 10 move on to that race, where judges and digital performance each count for half. Fans' choice of the year is decided purely by fan votes, cast on Mnet Plus and X, with a live vote added during the ceremony. [1]

Voting calendar for fans

First-round voting opened with the nominations and runs through Oct. 22. BTS, Stray Kids, Enhypen, Big Bang and Blackpink are all in the official first-round lineup. The top 20 male acts and top 20 female acts then advance to a second round, scheduled for Oct. 28 to Nov. 18. [1]

A contrast with the Grammy category

The nominations arrive as the same three acts are missing from the 2027 Grammy Awards' new Asian pop category, which recognizes K-pop, J-pop and C-pop performances that make meaningful use of at least one Asian language. BTS and Stray Kids chose not to submit music, and JYP Entertainment gave no reason for Stray Kids' absence. Blackpink is effectively excluded because the eligible releases from its February EP "Deadline" are entirely in English. Stray Kids had earlier been in the spotlight over its decision to sit out the Grammy submissions. Against that backdrop, the MAMA lineup of established stars reads as a stronger showcase than the Grammy category. [1][2][3]

Sources

  1. BTS, Blackpink, Stray Kids face off for top MAMA honors (Activity source)
  2. Stray Kids Joins BTS in Skipping 2027 Grammy Submissions Amid Asian Pop Category Backlash (Earlier on Omni Topic KWave)
  3. What will Grammys’ Asian pop category look like without BTS, Stray Kids? (Related report)

This selection covers artists followed by Omni Topic KWave. It is not a complete chart. Each source retains its own reporting period and methodology.

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