K-pop goes stateside as MAMA Awards prepares for U.S. debut in Los Angeles

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K-pop goes stateside as MAMA Awards prepares for U.S. debut in Los Angeles

Published: 29 Oct. 2024, 16:48 Updated: 29 Oct. 2024, 17:00

YOON SO-YEON
yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr

Chief producer of the MAMA Awards, Yoon Shin-hye [CJ ENM]

One small step for the MAMA Awards but a giant step for CJ ENM and K-pop — the 2024 MAMA Awards is set to take place in the United States for the first time in tandem with its 25th anniversary, boasting a lineup of both fresh faces and veteran artists during the event's three-day run.

This year's MAMA Awards will kick off in Los Angeles on Nov. 21 at the Dolby Theatre and will continue to the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan, on Nov. 22 and 23. It marks the first time that the Mnet music awards ceremony will take place in the United States — a first for any Korean music awards ceremony.

CJ ENM, the company that hosts the MAMA Awards, promised in 2022 that it would set foot in the United States within three years. Due to this goal, the company changed the event's name from the Mnet Asian Music Awards to the MAMA Awards in a bid to expand its reach beyond Asia. Mnet is a music-focused cable network operated by CJ ENM.

“We’ve always made our best efforts to spread the influence of K-pop to the global scene ever since the very beginning stages of the market,” the chief producer of the MAMA Awards, Yoon Shin-hye, told reporters during a press briefing held on Tuesday at the CJ ENM Media Center in western Seoul.

“Our efforts included the KCON festival, where we’ve managed to take K-pop to the global scene, especially in the United States — which is the world's leading market,” she continued. “So, it came naturally that we, who have always put our best foot forward, would try new things and become the first in the market to land in the United States and set an example, despite the errors we’ve incurred during the process.”

Producers of the 2024 MAMA Awards pose for photos alongside pictures of hosts Park Bo-gum and Kim Tae-ri prior to a press briefing held on Oct. 29 at the CJ ENM headquarters building in western Seoul. [CJ ENM]

The lineup of performers includes one of K-pop’s biggest solo stars, G-Dragon of boy band Big Bang, making his comeback for the first time in seven years and boy band Seventeen continuing its global spree of success. Both artists are set to take the stage on the last day of the event in Japan.

For the U.S. event, newer groups mostly from HYBE such as ILLIT, Katseye and TWS, will take the stage “to share the symbolic meaning of starting fresh in the United States,” according to Yoon.

“It’s the first step for us, so we thought it would be more meaningful if rookies could also start their chapter in the United States alongside the MAMA Awards,” Yoon said. “We wanted to bring fresh faces to the stage but also celebrate the occasion with Park Jin-young’s 30th anniversary of debut, as well as Riize, which shares a special memory in the United States.”

On the first day in the United States, K-pop acts, including ILLIT, Katseye, Riize, TWS and J.Y. Park are set to perform. Enhypen, Tomorrow X Together, BoyNextDoor, Treasure, IVE, ME:I and Plave will take the stage on Nov. 22 at Kyocera Dome. Seventeen, aespa, INI, Zerobaseone, Lee Young-ji, Meovv, BiBi, (G)I-DLE and G-Dragon will perform on Nov. 23.

Boy band Seventeen to perform at the 2024 MAMA Awards [CJ ENM]

This year’s MAMA Awards will be hosted by actor Park Bo-gum in the United States and actor Kim Tae-ri on the last day in Japan. Park co-hosted the MAMA Awards in 2022 and 2023 with singer Jeon So-mi. The first day of the event in Japan will have one particular host but will be “collectively presented by the participating artists of the ceremony,” according to the producers.

This year’s ceremony will once again put emphasis on the link between technology and entertainment, especially virtual artists and the real world through VR and AR technology.

This year’s theme “Big Blur: What is Real?” alludes to how the boundaries between music, culture and preferences have become ambiguous, with a focus on showing “something new that has never existed before in the world,” according to Noh Mi-rae of the art creation team at CJ ENM.

One particular stage will show virtual boy band Plave collaborating with rapper Lee Young-ji. On another stage, members from Tomorrow X Together, Enhypen and ZeroBaseOne will form a completely new band and play musical instruments with “a song that transcends time,” according to the organizers.

2024 MAMA Awards host actor Park Bo-gum [CJ ENM]

2024 MAMA Awards host actor Kim Tae-ri [CJ ENM]

“We focused on blurring the lines between what is real and surreal, real and virtual,” said Noh. “We formed the stage so that it symbolizes the tree of life that connects the different worlds. It will be located in the middle of the stadium to give a 360-degree view for everyone in attendance and give a powerful impact.”

Having started in 1999, the MAMA Awards is known as one of the largest and most popular awards ceremonies in K-pop, alongside the Golden Disc Awards, Melon Music Awards, Korean Music Awards and Seoul Music Awards.

Tickets have been priced at around 200,000 won ($144) for each day of the event, with slight differences according to the location within the venue. The U.S. event is sold out and the Japanese events are “set to sell out soon,” according to Yoon.

“A new challenge is always difficult but exciting,” Yoon said. “We are set to present a face of the MAMA Awards that can only be shown in the Dolby Theatre’s unique vibe. We hope this serves as an important step in the growth of K-pop and the MAMA Awards.”

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]