The MAMA Awards are going back to the same dome for the third time. The 2026 MAMA Awards take place on November 20 and 21 at Kyocera Dome Osaka, the venue that also hosted the show in 2022 and 2024. CJ ENM announced it on March 31 with Visa as title sponsor and a worldwide live stream on Mnet Plus. Almost everything else is still unannounced. This guide keeps the two apart: what's confirmed, what isn't yet, how voting actually works, and who has won the grand prizes before. We'll add a dated note each time CJ ENM announces something new.
What's confirmed for MAMA 2026
- Dates: Friday, November 20 and Saturday, November 21, 2026.
- Venue: Kyocera Dome Osaka, Japan, after Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong hosted in 2025.
- How to watch: live worldwide on Mnet Plus, per CJ ENM's announcement.
- Title sponsor: Visa, as in 2024 and 2025. The slogan is still "Music Makes ONE".
Not announced yet (as of October 2, 2026)
As of October 2, CJ ENM hasn't announced the nominees, the voting window, the performer lineup, the hosts or ticketing. Its March release only promised "more details in the coming months". Last year's calendar is the best guide to timing. In 2025 the nominees were revealed by livestream on October 16. The first fan-vote round ran October 16–26, and Fans' Choice of the Year voting ran October 30 to November 10, then reopened live during the broadcast, per the 2025 record. If 2026 keeps that rhythm, expect nominees in mid-October. That's an estimate, not an announcement.
How MAMA voting actually works
Here's the part that's easy to miss: in 2025, fan votes decided none of the three big music prizes. Artist of the Year was 30% digital sales (20% Korea, 10% global), 30% record sales and 40% judges' panel. Song of the Year was 60% digital and 40% judges. Album of the Year was 60% record sales and 40% judges. Online voting counted only in the Fans' Choice categories, and there it counted for everything: 90% Mnet Plus and 10% X votes. So a streaming push moves Song of the Year, album buying moves Album of the Year, and voting on the app decides Fans' Choice of the Year. For 2026 the eligible release window and weights haven't been published, and they've changed before. In 2024, Artist of the Year weighted digital and record sales at 40% each and the judges at 20%, per the 2024 criteria.
MAMA grand prize winners, 2022–2025
| Year · venue | Artist of the Year | Song of the Year | Album of the Year | Fan-voted grand prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 · Osaka | BTS | IVE, "Love Dive" | BTS, Proof | BTS (Worldwide Icon) |
| 2023 · Tokyo | NewJeans | NewJeans, "Ditto" | SEVENTEEN, FML | BTS (Worldwide Icon) |
| 2024 · Los Angeles + Osaka | SEVENTEEN | aespa, "Supernova" | SEVENTEEN, Seventeenth Heaven | Jimin (Fans' Choice) |
| 2025 · Hong Kong | G-Dragon | Rosé & Bruno Mars, "APT." | Stray Kids, Karma | ENHYPEN (Fans' Choice) |
Two things stand out in four years of results. SEVENTEEN is the only act to win Album of the Year twice, and it also took Artist of the Year in 2024. And no act has won Artist of the Year twice in this stretch: BTS, NewJeans, SEVENTEEN and G-Dragon each had one year. The 2022 Osaka show also introduced MAMA Platinum, for artists who had won all four grand prizes in one night. BTS were its first and so far only recipient. Last year's Best New Artist went to CORTIS and Hearts2Hearts, so both come to Osaka as 2025's rookies of record.
Mina's Take
The weighting table is the most useful thing on this page, because it tells you where fan effort actually counts. An album bought moves Album of the Year, where record sales are 60% of the score. A vote on the app moves only Fans' Choice. That's why the fan-voted grand prize keeps going to the biggest fandom mobilisers, BTS twice, then Jimin, then ENHYPEN, while the music prizes follow the charts. My prediction, with a date: when the 2026 criteria are published, Fans' Choice will still be the only grand prize with any online vote in it. If CJ ENM adds app votes to Artist of the Year, I called it wrong, and this page will say so.
Before the show
- Catch up on who is new: our new K-pop groups guide covers the debut class, several of whom could be in the rookie categories this year.
- What makes a group "5th gen" and why it matters at award shows: the 5th-gen explainer.
- Fan-voting season is also fandom-name season. Our K-pop fandom names list covers who you'll hear chanted in Osaka.
MAMA Awards 2026 FAQ
When are the 2026 MAMA Awards?
November 20 and 21, 2026, over two nights, per CJ ENM's announcement on March 31, 2026.
Where are the MAMA Awards 2026 held?
At Kyocera Dome Osaka in Japan. It's the third time MAMA has used the venue, after 2022 and 2024.
How can I watch MAMA 2026 online?
CJ ENM says the show streams live worldwide on Mnet Plus. Other broadcast partners haven't been announced yet. In 2025, HBO Max carried a live stream for the first time.
How does MAMA voting work?
In 2025, fan votes on Mnet Plus (90%) and X (10%) decided only the Fans' Choice categories. Artist, Song and Album of the Year were scored on sales and a judges' panel, with no online vote.
Who won the MAMA daesang last year?
In 2025: G-Dragon (Artist of the Year), Rosé and Bruno Mars' "APT." (Song of the Year), Stray Kids' Karma (Album of the Year) and ENHYPEN (Fans' Choice of the Year).
How do I get MAMA 2026 tickets?
Ticketing hasn't been announced as of October 2, 2026. Watch CJ ENM's newsroom and the official MAMA channels. We'll add the details here when they're out.
Sources
- 2026 MAMA AWARDS to Take Place in Japan From November 20-21 — CJ ENM
- 2025 MAMA Awards — Wikipedia
- 2022 MAMA Awards — Wikipedia
- 2024 MAMA Awards — Wikipedia
