The weekend mood was nothing short of electric. Over in Osaka, Japan, the Kyocera Dome crowd was set ablaze—all for the 2024 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA). For the uninitiated, this highly-anticipated awards show is considered the South Korean equivalent of the Grammys, with prestigious awards given out all throughout the two-day affair. But it’s ultimately the myriad of high-energy performances from the industry’s biggest players that truly draws in the masses year on year.
This year’s iteration made its mark for its own reasons. After all, who could deny the sheer mania of the crowd when Bruno Mars walked out on stage hand in hand with Rosé? To make the deal even sweeter, the duo orchestrated a pre-recorded performance of their viral collab single, ‘APT’. The MAMA Awards are also typically known for collaborative stages. To that end, we were met with the debut of Toenze, a collaborative band made up of members from TXT, Enhypen and ZeroBaseOne, where they each switched out their dance moves for some spectacular work on their respective instruments instead.
The real surprises came on the second day of the awards ceremony. Bibi—who took home the prize for Best Vocal Performance Solo sang her ever-popular ‘Bam Yang Gang’—brought out heartthrob actor Ahn Jae Hyun as the sweet accompaniment to her dreamy vocals. Meanwhile, Seventeen went home in crowning glory, bringing home not one, but two of the three daesang (grand prizes), including Artist and Album of the Year. But by the end of the evening, there was really only one colour the venue found itself suffused in. Blazing hot in yellow, the members of BigBang made a surprise return to the awards stage for the first time in nine years, as Taeyang and Daesung joined G-Dragon for the second half of his solo stage and banged out a pulsating setlist of their most popular tracks together.
Below, the jaw-dropping highlights from the 2024 MAMA Awards in Osaka, Japan.
1 / 10
Seventeen takes home two daesangs
Ask anyone in the industry, and they’ll speak of Seventeen’s work ethic—unfailing and relentless since their debut nine years ago. They’ve finally reaped the fruits of their labour this year, deservingly taking home a double daesang win, for both Album of the Year and Artist of the Year. Upon the second daesang win (and their fifth win of the evening), main producer Woozi gave a teary-eyed speech—which sent the group’s legion of fans (Carats) feeling into an emotional spiral.
2 / 10
Aespa won the daesang for Song of the Year
If there was one K-pop song that was absolutely everywhere this year, it was Aespa’s ‘Supernova’–so it is certainly well-deserved that the group won the daesang for Song of the Year. From viral TikTok challenges to a steady spot on music charts, there’s no denying the song’s popularity. With this, Aespa took home six awards, the highest number of wins at the ceremony this year.
3 / 10
Members of TXT, Enhypen and ZeroBaseOne formed a band
What’s a MAMA stage without an unexpected collab? For this year’s edition of the awards show, select members of South Korean boy groups Enhypen, TXT and ZeroBaseOne came together as a five-man band to perform a cover of Panic’s ‘Left-Hander’. The members in question included Beomgyu and Huening Kai of TXT who took on the bass and drums respectively, Kim Tae Rae and Han Yujin of ZeroBaseOne on the electric guitar and the keyboard, whilst Jay of Enhypen cranked up his charm on the guitar.
4 / 10
Bibi brought Ahn Jae-hyun on stage for ‘Bam Yang Gang’
Surrounded by waltzing dancers, Bibi performed a dreamy, Cinderella-themed rendition of Bam Yang Gang—which she also won Best Vocal Performance Solo for. And when the clock struck midnight, actor Ahn Jae-hyun appeared, dressed like the consummate Prince Charming, for a picture-perfect fairytale ending.
5 / 10
Byeon Woo-seok brought 'Lovely Runner' to life
In Korean drama Lovely Runner, Byeon Woo Seok plays the frontman of top boy band Eclipse, performing in front of stadiums full of screaming fans. At this year’s MAMA Awards, the actor turned the fictional stage into reality with a moving performance of the show’s OST ‘Sudden Shower’—holding his own in a line-up otherwise filled with idol performances and serving some truly impressive vocals.
6 / 10
G-Dragon clinched Visionary of the Year
The one who made it all possible. From music to fashion, G-Dragon’s influence remains unparalleled—especially when it comes to introducing the world to K-pop. So despite his seven-year hiatus, it’s no wonder Mnet created a whole new awards category for the veteran idol in tandem with his supersonic return to the industry. Visionary of the Year? It’s your boy, GD. And leave it to him to go back to that one very memorable rap from the very same awards show exactly a decade ago.
7 / 10
Enhypen brought Bada Lee out for a killer dance break
In the middle of Enhypen’s performance, a small casket-shaped box appeared on the empty stage. But just as main dancer Ni-ki rose up to grab it, an unfamiliar figure reached out to stop him. Taking the cinematic performance to a whole new level, Street Woman Fighter 2 champion Bada Lee joined Ni-ki in an electrifying dance break as the two battled for possession of the box—until Ni-ki was left standing alone, victorious.
8 / 10
(G)I-DLE namedropped former member Soojin
One of the unspoken rules of K-pop: do not acknowledge any former group members. Since Soojin’s departure from the group in 2021, (G)I-DLE has alluded to the unfairness of the situation multiple times, but never as directly as this. Kickstarting a powerful performance that proved exactly why the quintet won the award for Best Vocal Performance Group, leader Soyeon performed a rap that criticised the politics of the industry. But her boldest move was explicitly naming former member Soojin on one of the biggest stages in K-pop—a fearless statement if there ever was one.
9 / 10
Bruno Mars and Rosé made their MAMA debut
There was one particular duo whose attendance at MAMA caused headlines when it was announced. With Rosé and Bruno Mars’s ‘APT’ still having the world in a chokehold, the pair graced the event for the first time, performing the song’s first live stage at the ceremony’s pre-recording and taking home a special award for Global Sensation. In a hilarious moment that has since gone viral, Bruno ended his speech with a very suave thank you in Korean—a moment he had evidently been waiting and practising for.
10 / 10
The return of BigBang
When it was first announced that G-Dragon would be performing at this year’s MAMA Awards, fans everywhere fell in line to snag a ticket. Little did we know, it wouldn’t just be the BigBang leader’s first official stage after seven years, but also the return of the legends themselves. Sure enough, the seemingly never-ending wait was worth it. After his opening of ‘(Untitled, 2014)’ and the recently-released ‘Power’, the charismatic leader was joined by his remaining BigBang members on the MAMA stage, where they performed their latest track, ‘Home Sweet Home’ together. Yet needless to say, it was that unmistakable opening of ‘Bang Bang Bang’ and the following segue into ‘Fantastic Baby’, that sent everyone into a collective frenzy. So much so that even the younger generations of idols and South Korean A-list actors present were on their feet with the rest of the crowd. Epic doesn’t even begin to cover it.
