2026 MAMA Awards Preview: BIGBANG Leads Nominations as Osaka Prepares for a Two-Night K-Pop Spectacle

2026 MAMA Awards: Lineup, Nominees and How to Watch

Park Bo-gum hosts two chapters in Osaka, with different starting times and performance lineups for November 20 and 21.

The 2026 MAMA Awards will bring two days of performances and award presentations to Kyocera Dome Osaka on November 20 and 21, with Park Bo-gum serving as host and ambassador. BIGBANG features on the second day’s performance lineup, while ENHYPEN, CL and TREASURE are among the names scheduled for the opening chapter.

CJ ENM confirms that the ceremony will stream worldwide through Mnet Plus, giving international audiences a way to follow the event beyond the venue. For anyone planning to watch both days, the most practical detail is the different starting times: Chapter 1 begins in the evening, while Chapter 2 starts earlier in the afternoon.

When Each Chapter Begins

Mnet Japan lists Chapter 1 for Friday, November 20, with the red carpet starting at 3:30 p.m. and the ceremony at 6 p.m. Chapter 2 follows on Saturday, November 21, with its red carpet at 12:30 p.m. and ceremony at 3 p.m. All of those times are the same in Japan and South Korea.

That earlier Saturday start is easy to miss if viewers assume both chapters follow the same evening schedule. Fans watching overseas should convert the two ceremony times separately, particularly where the broadcast will fall overnight or in the early morning.

Park Bo-gum Returns as Host and Ambassador

The official MAMA announcement identifies Park Bo-gum as both ambassador and host under this year’s theme, “A Music Interstellar.” The title expands his involvement beyond the familiar hosting role, making him part of the event’s broader public identity as well as its onstage presentation.

We previously covered his appointment as the ceremony’s first ambassador and the special collaborations announced for this year’s show. Together, those announcements frame the two chapters as a connected event, even though each day has a different performance roster and starting time.

Understanding the Nomination Totals

According to Forbes, BIGBANG and its members lead the publication’s combined tally with eight nominations, followed by BTS and its member contributions with seven, and TOMORROW X TOGETHER together with Yeonjun’s solo nominations with six. Those figures require a qualification: they combine group and individual work, rather than counting group nominations alone.

Forbes lists four nominations for BIGBANG itself, with Taeyang contributing three solo nominations and G-Dragon adding a collaboration nomination. BTS has five group nominations, with two further nominations associated with J-Hope’s featured collaboration, while TXT’s total combines three group nominations and three for Yeonjun.

In our analysis, that distinction makes the comparison more useful. A combined tally highlights the reach of a group and its members across several releases, while a group-only tally answers a narrower question about the collective act. Neither should be mistaken for a prediction of how many trophies anyone will receive.

The Updated Performance Lineup

The official ticket page lists the following Chapter 1 performers: ALLDAY PROJECT, ALPHA DRIVE ONE, BABYMONSTER, CL, ENHYPEN, Hearts2Hearts, ILLIT, INI, LNGSHOT, MODYSSEY, NCT WISH, PANIC, RESCENE and TREASURE, alongside Street World Fighter: Directors’ War.

Chapter 2 lists &TEAM, BIGBANG, CORTIS, Hwasa, IVE, izna, KiiiKiii, KO1KEYZ, LE SSERAFIM, Nayeon, WOODZ and ZEROBASEONE. These are the advertised appearances; the listing does not establish the running order, set lengths or which songs each performer will deliver.

How to Watch From Home

CJ ENM has announced worldwide live streaming through Mnet Plus, while Mnet Japan lists Japanese television coverage through Mnet and streaming through Mnet Smart+. Its viewing guide identifies the Basic and Premium plans as options for the Japanese streaming service, so viewers there should check the platform’s current access requirements.

The ceremony is also accompanied by MAMA FAN FESTA, which CJ ENM describes as an expansion into online and offline fan experiences. For viewers following from home, the two chapters offer separate lineups worth checking individually, with the earlier Saturday start the key scheduling difference to keep in mind.

Editor’s Note: Lineups and schedules reflect announcements checked on November 12 and may change. Nomination totals attributed to Forbes combine group and individual-member work.