BLACKPINK Tops 2025 MAMA Nominations with 23 Nods
BLACKPINK
By SyndicatedNews SNN.BZ
BLACKPINK has dominated the 2025 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) nominations, securing a whopping 23 nods across various categories, making them the top-nominated act for the year. This powerhouse girl group, known for their global hits and electrifying performances, continues to solidify their status as K-pop royalty. Individual members like Jennie (9 nods), Rosé, Jisoo, and Lisa also shone brightly, with standout tracks like Jennie’s “Like JENNIE,” “Zen,” and “ExtraL” earning multiple Song of the Year mentions. Other heavy hitters include BTS members Jin and J-Hope (solo nods in Best Male Artist and dance categories), SEVENTEEN, aespa (also with 9 nods), and rising acts like BABYMONSTER and ZEROBASEONE.
The nominations were announced today (October 16, 2025) via Mnet’s official channels, sparking massive fan excitement online. Voting for fan-choice categories like Fans’ Choice Male/Female is already underway in two rounds: the first ends October 26, and the second runs October 30 to November 10 (KST). The full ceremony hits Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong on November 28-29, marking MAMA’s return to the city after seven years—expect epic stages, surprise collabs, and a capacity crowd of 50,000.
What Are the MAMA Awards?
The MAMA Awards (short for Mnet Asian Music Awards) are one of K-pop’s most prestigious annual music ceremonies, organized by CJ ENM through its Mnet channel. Launched in 1999 as the Mnet Music Video Festival (inspired by the MTV VMAs), it evolved into the Mnet Asian Music Awards in 2009 to highlight its pan-Asian scope and rebranded simply to “MAMA” in recent years to emphasize its global reach. It’s essentially the “Oscars of K-pop,” celebrating achievements in music, performance, and artistry with categories spanning Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Dance Performance, and genre-specific awards like Best Hip-Hop or Best OST.
- Key Highlights:
- Primarily honors K-pop acts, but includes nods for Asian and international artists.
- Winners are decided by a mix of expert judging (40%), streaming/downloads (30-60%), physical sales (up to 60%), and fan votes.
- Past events have gone global: Held in cities like Seoul, Hong Kong, Japan, and even the U.S. (2024 in LA and Osaka). 2025’s Hong Kong edition is co-hosted with Media Asia Group.
- Fun fact: It’s racked up billions of views worldwide, with 540 million fan votes in peak years.
MAMA isn’t just awards—it’s a cultural phenomenon that unites ARMYs, BLINKs, and CARATs in hype. If you’re new to K-pop, this is your gateway event. Who’s your pick for Artist of the Year? Stream past MAMAs on Mnet’s YouTube to catch the vibe!
