The 27th Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) returned to Hong Kong with a two-night spectacle on November 28–29 at the new Kai Tak Stadium—an outdoor venue chosen to match the scale of K-pop’s global reach. Park Bo-gum hosted Chapter 1, while Kim Hye-soo helmed Chapter 2, with broadcasts carried live across Asia and worldwide via Mnet channels and partners.

The big picture: four Daesangs that defined the year

MAMA’s Grand Prizes told a clear story about 2025’s sound and momentum. G-Dragon was named Artist of the Year, sealing his full-scale return. ROSÉ & Bruno Mars’s duet “APT.” earned Song of the Year—a cross-continental collaboration that dominated charts and stages. Stray Kids took Album of the Year with KARMA, while ENHYPENcaptured Fans’ Choice of the Year, spotlighting the group’s powerful global fandom engine.

Winners beyond the Daesangs

MAMA’s breadth is part of its magic—recognizing artistry, performance craft, and fan power:

• Best Female Artist: ROSÉ

• Best Male Artist: G-Dragon

• Best Female Group: aespa

• Best Male Group: SEVENTEEN

• Best Dance Performance (Female Group): aespa “Whiplash”

• Best Dance Performance (Male Group): SEVENTEEN “THUNDER”

• Best Dance Performance (Female Solo): JENNIE “like JENNIE”

• Best Dance Performance (Male Solo): G-Dragon “TOO BAD (feat. Anderson .Paak)”

• Best Vocal Performance (Solo): ROSÉ “toxic till the end”

• Best Vocal Performance (Group): DAVICHI “Stitching”

• Best Band Performance: DAY6 “Maybe Tomorrow”

• Best Rap & Hip-Hop Performance: Big Naughty “MUSIC (feat. Lee Chanhyuk)”

• Best Collaboration: ROSÉ & Bruno Mars “APT.”

• Best OST: HUNTR/X “Golden (K-Pop Demon Hunters OST)”

• Best Music Video: JENNIE “ZEN”

• Best New Artist: CORTIS & Hearts2Hearts (joint)

• Popularity & Special: IVE (Favorite Global Performer, Favorite Female Group, Global Trend Song “Rebel Heart”); BOYNEXTDOOR (Favorite Male Group); ZEROBASEONE (Worldwide KCONers’ Choice); Super Junior (Inspiring Achievement); TXT (Visa Super Stage Artist); Hearts2Hearts (Olive Young K-Beauty Artist); JO1 (Favorite Asian Artist); ALLDAY PROJECT (Breakthrough Artist).

These outcomes underline three 2025 currents: (1) veteran icons reasserting influence (G-Dragon), (2) powerhouse girl-group performance aesthetics (aespa/IVE), and (3) collaboration as a growth engine (ROSÉ × Bruno Mars).

Performances and moments everyone talked about

Across two chapters, stages were engineered for stadium-scale impact yet stayed focused on music first. aespa’s “Whiplash” showcased razor-sharp choreography worthy of its dance win, while SEVENTEEN’s “THUNDER” landed that kinetic, multi-unit precision they’re known for. ROSÉ’s live vocals added emotional heft to her solo material before “APT.” took Song of the Year. On the boy-group front, Stray Kids powered through KARMA-era cuts; the night was briefly overshadowed by Lee Know’s ankle injury mid-performance, later confirmed as a sprain, with the member set to rest and recover per agency guidance.

A show tuned to the times

MAMA 2025 operated with a more measured tone in light of events unfolding in Hong Kong around the same period. Organizers canceled red-carpet fanfare and opened with a moment of silence, emphasizing respect while keeping the program’s core mission: celebrating music and community. The scaled-back staging did not diminish the pageantry of wins or the quality of performances—it reframed them.

What the results signal for 2026

• Icon resurgence: G-Dragon’s Artist of the Year signals that legacy names can still set the agenda when paired with strong releases and performance narratives. Expect ripple effects across festival headliners and luxury brand tie-ins next year.

• Global pop fusion is the norm: “APT.” winning Song of the Year cements the collaborative, East-West pipeline as a mainstream lane, not a novelty. More cross-label, multi-market singles are likely

• Performance-centric girl-groups: aespa’s haul (group + choreography) underscores how choreography, visual tech, and vocal consistency have become inseparable metrics of “group excellence.”

• Fan mobilization remains decisive: ENHYPEN’s Fans’ Choice Daesang is a reminder that global fandoms—streaming, sales, and live voting—still move mountains at scale.

Quick reference: Key facts

• Dates & venue: November 28–29, 2025, Kai Tak Stadium, Hong Kong.

• Hosts: Park Bo-gum (Chapter 1), Kim Hye-soo (Chapter 2).

• Headline Daesang winners: G-Dragon (Artist), Stray Kids – KARMA (Album), ROSÉ & Bruno Mars “APT.” (Song), ENHYPEN (Fans’ Choice).