MAMA 2024 - BIGBANG
The “2024 MAMA Awards” concluded this Saturday with a historic performance by boy band BIGBANG, cementing its reputation as one of the most prestigious pop music awards in Korea.
The “2024 MAMA AWARDS” were held in Los Angeles, USA and Osaka, Japan, holding a portion of the ceremony in the United States for the first time in its history.
Boy group SEVENTEEN took home the “Grand Prize” for the second year in a row. The 13-member group took home the coveted “Visa Artist of the Year” award on the final night, marking their second consecutive grand prize after winning “Album of the Year” in 2023.
Visibly moved during his acceptance speech, WOOZI said,
“They say you are free to dream, but for us, winning a major award for two consecutive years was something we never imagined. We will continue to live to repay this honor, remaining steadfast and unchanged.”
SEVENTEEN didn’t stop there. The group also received the “Visa Album of the Year” award, one of four major awards, for their 11th EP album, “SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN,” as well as the “Best Male Group,” “Visa Super Stage,” and the “Best Male Group Fans’ Choice” award, winning five awards in total.
Other big winners included AESPA, whose song “Supernova” was named Visa Song of the Year. The quartet took home six awards: Best Girl Group, Best Girl Group Dance Performance, Best Choreography, Best Music Video, and the Fans’ Choice Best Girl Group Award.
On the first day of the event in Japan, BTS’s JIMIN won the “Visa Fans’ Choice of the Year” award, also one of the four grand prizes. One of the highlights of the night was a surprise performance by BIGBANG, marking a rare reunion of the group’s three remaining members: G-DRAGON, TAEYANG, and DAESUNG.
G-DRAGON began by performing two of his solo tracks, “Untitled (2014)” and “Power (2024).” The BIGBANG member then began performing his latest single, “HOME SWEET HOME,” a song that features fellow members TAEYANG and DAESUNG. The members joined the performance midway through the song, making a surprise appearance. The trio then delivered a nostalgic yet electrifying medley of two of the group’s mega-hits, “Bang Bang Bang” and “Fantastic Baby,” sending the audience and artists into a wild frenzy.
G-DRAGON was also honored with the inaugural “Musical Visionary of the Year” award. In his acceptance speech, he humorously referenced lyrics from his 2014 MAMA Awards performance, saying, “It’s been a while. Looks like MAMA is cooking up a big feast.“
Actor BYEON WOO SEOK, who became a national and international celebrity through the 2024 tvN series “Lovely runner,” also performed “Sudden shower,” a track from the original soundtrack he sang for the drama. The artist received the Favorite Global Trending Music Award for this song.
Many performances took place over the two nights, also showing the international impact of Korean pop music, whether it is in the form of performance, soundtrack, etc. Artists such as (G)I-DLE, BIBI, MEOVV, ZEROBASEONE, and Japanese group INI gave great performances.
Hosted by entertainment company CJ ENM’s Mnet cable channel, the annual MAMA Awards is one of the biggest annual K-pop music awards in Korea. This year, the MAMA Awards took on an international dimension by holding its first day at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles and inviting pop star Bruno Mars to perform alongside BLACKPINK’s ROSE.
Journalist: Shawn
Translator: Shawn
Source: Mnet, CJENM
