The 2024 edition of K-pop’s MAMA Awards will kick-off in Los Angeles for the first time, before expanding into a two-day event in Osaka, Japan.
Organizers said that the decision to present awards and have performances on both sides of the Pacific Ocean is “a significant step towards broadening K-pop reach as well as connecting global K-pop fans across time zones.”
Activities will start at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre on Nov. 21 and at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan from Nov. 22 and 23. In late November, Japan will be 17 hours ahead of the U.S. West Coast, meaning that the events may be nearly consecutive. Precise details of timings and performers have not yet been disclosed.
“The 2024 edition of the MAMA AWARDS will have a wide array of K-pop performances with visuals and sounds that will make you feel as if you’re in another reality beyond space and time,” said Harry H.K. Shin, head of music entertainment at CJ ENM, the Korean conglomerate that controls the awards and is also one of the biggest film and TV producers in Asia.
The awards were first launched in 1999 CJ ENM’s music channel Mnet and were known as the Mnet Asian Music Awards, before a rebranding in 2022. They have previously been held in Macau, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Japan.
CJ EMN is also the backer of the KCON series of K-pop conventions held at international venues including Los Angeles and Hong Kong and Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany (on Sept. 28 and 29).
The Korea Herald newspaper recently reported that another KCON, to be held in Saudi Arabia, has been cancelled. It cited anonymous sources describing a lackluster lineup of acts that had disappointed local fans. In an emailed response, a CJ ENM spokesperson told Variety, “KCON Saudi Arabia is under discussion, and it has not been decided yet when it will be held.”
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