2026 MAMA AWARDS Name Park Bo-gum First Ambassador, Announce Special Collaborations and Fan Festa
2026년 10월 30일
The 2026 MAMA AWARDS have named Park Bo-gum their first-ever ambassador and announced special collaborations spanning generations and genres, alongside a new fan festival. The two-day ceremony will take place on November 20 and 21 at KYOCERA DOME OSAKA in Japan.
Organizer CJ ENM outlined the plans at a media day in Seoul on October 29. Under the main concept ‘A MUSIC INTERSTELLAR,’ this year’s ceremony will explore connections through music across time and space, bringing together artists from different generations and incorporating film, animation, contemporary art and technology into its performances.
Park Bo-gum will serve as host and the inaugural MAMA Ambassador, connecting the ceremony’s two chapters as a storyteller and guide. Yoon Shin-hye, head of Mnet’s business division, said preparations were underway for him to convey each chapter’s concept and story in different formats. In a video message, Park expressed his commitment to sharing the musical message running through both days.
Duo Panic will present a special collaboration with CORTIS members MARTIN and SEONGHYEON, WOODZ, ZEROBASEONE’s KIM TAE RAE, ALLDAY PROJECT’s WOOCHAN and Hearts2Hearts’ YUHA. Yoon described Panic’s music as retaining the spirit of youth and said the performance would bring together voices and sounds from different generations.
BIGBANG will collaborate with ‘Dooly the Little Dinosaur’ and its characters for another special stage. Organizers are preparing a performance designed to connect with audiences across generations, while the characters’ exact appearance and staging have yet to be revealed.
ENHYPEN will present a performance linked to the film ‘Dune: Part Three,’ connecting the group’s vampire-themed universe with the film’s science-fiction setting. A collaboration with Korean contemporary artist Lee Bae and performances incorporating Google’s generative AI Gemini are also in development. These are separate elements of the ceremony’s broader collaboration program.
The awards will be divided between the two chapters. Chapter 1 on November 20 will feature Fans’ Choice Top 10, rookie awards and artist categories covering male and female solo acts and groups. Chapter 2 on November 21 will focus on music and performance categories, including the newly introduced Best Song Top 10, as well as vocal and dance performance awards.
Beyond the ceremony, the first MAMA FAN FESTA will run from November 9 to 21, with activities across Osaka and online through Mnet Plus. Planned programs include collaborations with local restaurants, a Ferris wheel experience featuring nominated artists’ music and a stamp rally, extending the celebrations into the host city.