MAMA Awards 2025 Nominees & Winners｜Full Results

Introduction: The 2025 MAMA Awards — Hong Kong’s Grand Stage

The 2025 MAMA Awards (formerly Mnet Asian Music Awards) will be held on November 28–29, 2025, at the brand-new Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong.]) This marks the return of MAMA to Hong Kong since 2018, and also its first edition at the Kai Tak venue.

While the full list of nominees has already been officially released, the winners are still forthcoming. This article provides:

1. A breakdown of the nomination criteria and evaluation system.
2. A presentation of key nominees (with highlights).
3. Predictions of likely winners (with reasoning).
4. Fan strategies and what to watch closely.
5. Event and broadcast logistics.
6. How to update this article once results drop and lessons learned.

Once the winners are officially announced, this article can be amended with finalized data.

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1. Nomination Criteria & Evaluation Framework

To understand how the awards will play out, it’s essential to delve into how nominations are determined, how winners are selected, and how different categories weigh different factors.

1.1 Eligibility & Data Sources

• Works eligible for nomination must have been released between October 1, 2024 and September 30, 2025.])
• Data sources include:
    • Circle Chart metrics (streaming + downloads, both Korea and global)])
    • Physical album sales])
    • Online voting / social media (SNS / X / Twitter) for fan-vote categories])
    • Judges / expert panels evaluation of artistic, performance, production quality]) 1.2 Weightings by Category & Winner Selection

The weightings differ depending on category, especially between main categories (Artist, Song, Album), judged categories (MV, choreography), and fan choice ones. According to the official page:

Category	Data / Sales / Streaming	Judges / Evaluation	Fan Voting / Other
Artist of the Year	30% (20% Korea + 10% global)])	40%	—
Song of the Year	60% (40% Korea + 20% global)])	40%	—
Album of the Year	60% (sales)])	40%	—
Best Music Video / Best Choreography	—	100%	—
Fans’ Choice Categories	—	—	100%

Thus, in main categories the winners will depend on a balance between commercial success (sales, streaming), artistic merit (judges), and in some cases fan support (for fan categories).

Also, nomination announcements and fan-choice voting began October 16, 2025.])

1.3 Role of Super Fan Program & Fan Influence

For 2025, MAMA continues the Super Fan program, which allows a selected group of fans to participate in certain nomination or voting phases. This offers fandoms with strong global engagement an advantage in influencing early nomination shape, especially for fan-choice categories.

Because fan voting has 100% weight in relevant categories, the mobilization, coordination, and reach of fandoms will be decisive in many cases.

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2. Key Nominees & Highlights

On October 16, 2025, Mnet livestreamed and released the official list of nominees.]) Below is a curated look at the most important categories and standout nominees.

2.1 Major Category Nominees

Best New Artist
AHOF / ALLDAY PROJECT / Baby DONT Cry / CLOSE YOUR EYES / CORTIS / Hearts2Hearts / IDID / izna / KickFlip / KiiiKiii

Best Male Artist
Baekhyun / G-Dragon / j-hope / Jin / Mark

Best Female Artist
Jennie / Jisoo / Rosé / Taeyeon / Yuqi

Best Male Group
BOYNEXTDOOR / ENHYPEN / RIIZE / SEVENTEEN / Stray Kids / TXT / ZEROBASEONE ([LOS40][4])

Best Female Group
aespa / BABYMONSTER / (G)I-DLE / IVE / LE SSERAFIM / TWICE

Best Dance Performance – Male Solo
G-Dragon – “TOO BAD (feat. Anderson .Paak)” / j-hope – “MONA LISA” / Kai – “Wait On Me” / Key – “HUNTER” / Mark – “1999”

Best Dance Performance – Female Solo
Dayoung – “body” / Jennie – “like JENNIE” / Jisoo – “earthquake” / Karina – “UP” / Minnie – “HER”

Best Dance Performance – Male Group
BOYNEXTDOOR – “IF I SAY, I LOVE YOU” / NCT DREAM – “When I’m With You” / NCT WISH – “poppop” / PLAVE – “Dash” / RIIZE – “Fly Up” / SEVENTEEN – “THUNDER” / TWS – “Countdown!”

Best Dance Performance – Female Group
aespa – “Whiplash” / BABYMONSTER – “DRIP” / BLACKPINK – “JUMP” / ILLIT – “Cherish (My Love)” / IVE – “REBEL HEART” / LE SSERAFIM – “HOT”

Best Solo Vocal Performance
Doyoung – “Memory” / Lee Mu Jin – “Coming of Age Story” / Rosé – “toxic till the end” / Roy Kim – “If You Ask Me What Love Is” / Taeyeon – “Letter To Myself”

Other categories (e.g. Collaboration, OST, Music Video, Choreography) also feature heavy competition and many crossover nominations.

2.2 Notable Trends & Observations

• Jennie’s nomination dominance: Multiple media sources report she leads in total nominations (some mention ten nominations) across various major categories.
• aespa, BLACKPINK, new groups all strong: These groups appear frequently across performance, group, and song categories.
• Broad genre coverage: From dance to vocal to collaborations and OSTs, the nominations span many subgenres, suggesting the field is competitive across the board.
• Star power and legacy names included: Artists like G-Dragon, Taeyeon, and other veteran names provide gravitas to the field.
• Cross‐category overlap: Many artists are nominated in multiple categories (song, performance, group/artist), meaning vote distribution strategies matter.

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3. Predictions: Who Might Win & Why

Given the weightings, the nominations, industry trends, and fan base mobilization, we can project possible winners in various categories. These are predictive and subject to change once official results are out.

3.1 Likely Winners in Main Awards

Artist of the Year
Possible winners: Jennie, aespa, SEVENTEEN.
Reasoning: Jennie’s multiple nominations across major categories, strong commercial performance, and dedicated global fanbase give her a top shot. But aespa is a strong contender given consistent performance & popularity. SEVENTEEN, with proven track record as a group with strong album and fan support, may pose serious competition.

Song of the Year
Likely winners include Jennie – “like JENNIE”, aespa – “Dirty Work”, or BLACKPINK – “JUMP”.
Reasoning: These songs combine high streaming numbers, broad appeal, and strong promotional campaigns. Jennie’s solo song has buzz; aespa’s is in their consistent trajectory; BLACKPINK often is a safe bet in big song categories.

Album of the Year
Potential winners: aespa – Whiplash, BOYNEXTDOOR – No Genre, ENHYPEN – DESIRE : UNLEASH.
Reasoning: These albums are among the top nominated ones. Album sales and critical reception will be decisive here.

3.2 Other Category Predictions

Best Dance Performance – Female Group
Likely: aespa – “Whiplash”
Rationale: Their strong choreography, visual design, and performance consistency tend to appeal to judges.

Best Dance Performance – Male Solo
Likely: G-Dragon – “TOO BAD (feat. Anderson .Paak)”
Rationale: G-Dragon’s artistry, veteran status, and cross‐genre appeal can sway in judged categories.

Best Music Video
Likely: aespa – “Dirty Work” or Blackpink – “JUMP”
Rationale: High visual production, storytelling, and brand backing give them an edge in judged visual categories.

Fans’ Choice Categories
These are more volatile, but the artists with strongest, most coordinated, international fandoms (Jennie, aespa, BLACKPINK) have a good chance.

3.3 Upset & Wild Card Scenarios

• A less mainstream act may win in judged categories if they deliver exceptional visual or choreographic innovation.
• In categories where an artist has multiple nominations, internal vote splitting could allow a runner-up to win.
• Fan mobilization near closing hours can shift results in fan‐choice categories.
• A technical or eligibility surprise (disqualification, rule challenge) might alter outcomes.

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4. Fan Strategy & What to Watch

To maximize influence and enjoy the full experience, fans should consider:

4.1 Timing & Voting Windows

• Be aware of voting open times (for fan categories) and deadlines.
• Use the Mnet Plus app / platform, and also X / Twitter (10%) voting for eligible categories.
• Stagger votes through time zones to remain consistent. 4.2 Coordination & Resource Allocation
• Fandom groups should allocate their efforts wisely—e.g. focus on a few key categories rather than dilute across too many.
• Use guides, tutorials, and reminders to ensure every fan’s vote counts.
• Track voting momentum (if publicly visible) to shift focus mid-period. 4.3 Staying Informed of Changes
• Keep an eye on official MAMA / Mnet communications in case of rule changes.
• Monitor the Super Fan program and any advantages it may give certain fans.
• Watch for disqualifications or anomalies flagged during the voting or judging process.

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5. Event Logistics, Broadcast & Viewing

While the winners are not yet known, the setup and logistics play a big part in how memories of the event will be formed.

5.1 Venue & Scale

• The ceremony is in Kai Tak Stadium, capacity roughly 50,000.
• Because it’s the first time at this stadium for MAMA, scale, stage design, and crowd flow will be under close scrutiny. 5.2 Broadcast & Streaming Partners
• In South Korea: Mnet and TVING
• Global streaming: YouTube (Mnet K-POP, M2, Mnet TV) & Mnet Plus])
• Hong Kong: tvN Asia, TVB Jade / Pearl]) 5.3 Show Format & Highlights to Expect
• Multiple performance segments, medleys, special collaboration stages.
• Visual spectacle: immersive lighting, stage mechanics, perhaps 360° or multi-angle displays.
• Real-time award reveals interwoven with fan interactions, backstage segments, and red carpet.
• Later, archival replays, highlights, in-depth recaps will circulate across media.

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6. After Winners Are Announced: Analysis & Impact

Once the winners are officially declared, this article should be updated to:

• Provide the complete winner list, category by category.
• Compare winners vs predictions: which matches, which upsets.
• Analyze vote margins (if disclosed) and judge decisions.
• Summarize key moments & performances from the night.
• Evaluate how this edition shapes trends going forward in K-pop (e.g. more solo artist dominance, shifts in visual style, fan voting influence, etc.)

The winners will set narratives for 2026: which artists are now considered “Daesang kings/queens,” which groups surged, and how fandoms evolve.