2020 Mnet Asian Music Awards
DateDecember 6, 2020
LocationCJ ENM Contents World, Paju, South Korea
Hosted bySong Joong-ki
Most awardsBTS (9)
Website2020mama.com
Television/radio coverage
NetworkMnet, across CJ E&M channels and other international networks, YouTube
Runtime380 minutes (Main Ceremony)
← 2019 · MAMA · 2021 →

The 2020 Mnet Asian Music Awards ceremony, organized by CJ E&M through its music channel Mnet, took place live on December 6 at the CJ ENM Contents World in Paju, South Korea with the theme, "New-Topia". The ceremony was held with no on-site audience due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ceremony was the 22nd in the show's history.[1][2][3]

Background

On September 11, CJ ENM responded to reports and confirmed that the year's MAMA will still take place despite the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, but no additional details were announced.[4]

On September 21, it was reported that it will take place on December 6 with no location confirmed. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible to hold the event in Hong Kong. It was the first time in 11 years that MAMA only took place in South Korea.[5][6]

On November 24, it was reported that Song Joong-ki was set to host the ceremony.[7]

Criteria

K-Pop Categories

All songs that are eligible to be nominated are songs released from October 24, 2019, to October 28, 2020.[8]

Division Online Voting MAMA Professional Panel

(Local + Foreign)

Music Sales Record Sales Social Media Voting Global M/V View Counts
Artist of the Year

Categories by Artist*

30% 30% 20% 20% — —
Song of the Year

Categories by Genre**

20% 40% 30% 10% — —
Album of the Year — 40% — 60% — —
Best Music Video — 70% — — — 30%
Worldwide Icon of the Year

Global Top 10 Fans' Choice***

60% — — — 20% 20%
*Best New (M)ale/(F)emale Artist, Best M/F Artist, Best M/F Group

**Best Dance Performance (Solo/M/F Group), Best Vocal Performance (M/F/Group), Best HipHop & Urban Music, Best Band Performance, Best Collaboration, Best OST

***Social Media (Twitter) Voting

Asia Music Categories

Artists from Japan, China, Thailand, Indonesia, India and Vietnam who've worked on songs released from October 1, 2019, to September 30, 2020.[8]

Professional Categories

Music experts from South Korea, Japan, China, Thailand, India, Indonesia and Vietnam who participated in music related contents released from October 1, 2019, to September 30, 2020.[8]

Performers

(Note: All performance were pre-recorded in order to maintain social distancing due to COVID-19 pandemic.)

List of performers at 2020 MAMA
Name(s) Song(s) Notes/Stage Theme
Taemin Intro + "Criminal" + "Heaven" + "Idea"[9] "The Dawn of a NEW-TOPIA"
Jessi "Nunu Nana"[10] "I Am What I Am"
Hwasa Intro + "María"[11]
Jessi X Hwasa "Gang" (MAMA Ver.) (Orig. Rain)[12]
Park Sung-hoon of Enhypen "Into the I-Land" (Piano Ver.)[13] "On The Borderline"
Enhypen "Intro: Walk the Line" + "Given-Taken"[14]
Cravity "Break All The Rules" + "Dramarama" (Orig. Monsta X) +
"Shoot Out" (Orig. Monsta X)[15] 		"Heaven And Hell"
Monsta X "Beastmode" + "Love Killa"[16]
Oh My Girl "Nonstop"[17] "Total Eclipse"
(G)I-dle "Dumdi Dumdi"[18]
Oh My Girl (Mimi, Jiho, Arin) +
(G)I-dle (Soojin, Soyeon & Yuqi) 		"Bad Girl Good Girl" (Orig. Miss A)[19]
Juyeon of The Boyz "Open the Gate of Hell"[20] "Qui Fert Pondus Coronae Velit"
The Boyz "The Beginning of the End (Reveal & Checkmate)"[21]
Ateez "Dona Eis Requiem (Inception & Answer)"[22]
Stray Kids "Victory Song" (MAMA ver.)[23]
Juyeon of The Boyz + Hyunjin of
Stray Kids + San of Ateez 		"Triangular Fight"[24]
JO1 "Infinity" + "Shine A Light"[25] "Infinite Light"
Treasure "Boy" + "I Love You" + "MMM"[26] "Find Your TREASURE"
Tomorrow X Together "Short Hair" (Orig. Cho Yong-pil) + "She Was Pretty" (Orig. Park Jin-young)
+ "Dynamite" (Orig. BTS) + "Blue Hour" (Dance Break ver.)[27] 		"Welcome To The DISCO"
Iz*One "La Vie En Rose" + "Violeta" + "Fiesta" +
"Secret Story of the Swan" + "Panorama"[28] 		"One-REELER"
Got7 "Not by the Moon" + "Last Piece"[29] "The Last Piece Of NEW-TOPIA"
Mamamoo "Aya" + "Dingga" (Agrabah ver.)[30] "Promised Land"
Seventeen "Left & Right" + "Home;Run"[31] "Door to YOUTHOPIA"
NCT U "From Home" (Rearranged Ver.)[32] "Resonance Of NCT"
WayV "Turn Back Time"[33]
NCT Dream "Ridin'"[34]
NCT 127 "Kick It"[35]
NCT "Resonance"[36]
Twice "More & More" + "I Can't Stop Me" + "Cry for Me"[37][a] "Paradise, Lost"
Winter of Aespa "ID; Peace B"[38] "BoA 20th Anniversary Special"
(G)I-dle "Listen to My Heart"[39]
YooA of Oh My Girl "Tree"[40]
Kwon Eun-bi, Lee Chae-yeon, Choi
Ye-na, Kim Chae-won of Iz*One 		"Atlantis Princess"[41]
BoA "No. 1" + "Only One" (feat. Taemin) + "Better"[42] "You're Still My No. 1"
BTS "On"[b] + "Dynamite" + "Life Goes On"[43] "On & On"

Presenters

The list of presenters was announced on December 1, 2020.[44]

Winners and nominees

Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold. Online voting opened on the official MAMA website and Twitter an hour after the announcement of nominees on October 29, 2020. Voting ended on December 5, 2020.[45]

Main awards

BTS won 9 awards, including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year.
Blackpink won 4 awards, including Best Female Group and Best Dance Performance - Female Group.
Artist of the Year
(Daesang) 		Song of the Year
(Daesang)
Album of the Year
(Daesang) 		Worldwide Icon of the Year
(Daesang)
Best Male Group Best Female Group
Best Male Artist Best Female Artist
Best Dance Performance – Male Group Best Dance Performance – Female Group
Best Dance Performance – Solo Best Vocal Performance – Solo
Best Vocal Performance – Group Best Collaboration
Best New Male Artist Best New Female Artist
Best Band Performance Best OST
Best HipHop & Urban Music Best Music Video

Favorite Awards

Category Winner
Worldwide Fans' Choice Top 10
Favorite Dance Performance – Female Solo Jessi – "Nunu Nana"
Favorite Dance Performance – Male Solo Taemin – "Criminal"
Favorite Dance Performance – Group TXT – "Can't You See Me?"
Favorite Asian Artist WayV
Favorite Female Group Iz*One
Favorite Male Group NCT
Global Favorite Performer Seventeen

Special Awards

Category Winner
Best Asian Artist Japan Official Hige Dandism
Mandarin G.E.M.
Thailand Ink Waruntorn
Indonesia Rizky Febian
Vietnam Binz
Best New Asian Artist Japan Fujii Kaze
Mandarin Chih Siou
Thailand Milli
Indonesia Tiara Andini
Vietnam Amee
Best New Asian Artist JO1
Discovery of the Year Ateez
Best of Next Cravity
Best Stage Monsta X
Notable Achievement Artist Seventeen
Inspired Achievement BoA
Most Popular Artist Twice
2020 Visionary (CJ E&M)

Professional Categories

Category Winner Work
Best Executive Producer of the Year Bang Si-hyuk BTS
Best Producer of the Year Pdogg BTS - "ON"
Best Composer of the Year Yovie Widianto Tiara Andini - "Maafkan Aku #TerlanjurMencinta"
Best Engineer of the Year Gu jong Pil & Kwon Nam Woo Zico - "Any song"
Best Video Director of the Year LUMPENS BTS - "Dynamite"
Best Choreographer of the Year Quang Dang Binz - "Love Note"
Best Art Director of the Year MU:E BTS - "Dynamite"

Multiple Awards

The following artist(s) received three or more awards:

Awards Artist(s)
9 BTS
4 Blackpink
3 IU
Seventeen
NCT / WayV

Broadcast

The ceremony of the 2020 Mnet Asian Music Awards was broadcast live worldwide from Mnet in South Korea to simulcast across CJ E&M channels; other international networks, and online via Mnet K-pop and KCON's YouTube account and Mnet's official website.[46] The live red carpet broadcast was cancelled due to safety protocols against COVID-19.[citation needed]

Country Network
Worldwide[d] YouTube (Mnet K-Pop & KCON), mwave.me
United States KCON USA
South Korea Mnet, TVING, O'live, XtvN
Japan Mnet Smart, Mnet Japan, au Smart Pass
Hong Kong JOOX,[47] ViuTV, ViuTVsix, viu.tv tvN Asia
Taiwan FET Friday video, FET Friday Music
Philippines GigaFest (Smart Communications)[48]
Singapore MeWATCH
Indonesia Indosiar,[49] JOOX,[50] Vidio
Malaysia JOOX[47]
Thailand
Myanmar
Maldives tvN Asia
Sri Lanka
Vietnam FPT TV, Foxy
Sub-Saharan Africa tvN Asia (through DStv)[51]

Controversies

Discrimination between actors and idols

On December 8, Dispatch released a report which described that the actors who took part in the ceremony as award presenters had been given waiting rooms and catering backstage. It has been also reported that only two idol teams received waiting rooms, and the others waited in an outdoor parking lot. Although the performance was pre-recorded, the winning scene was live, so it is known that the singers who attended had to wait in the vehicle for as little as one hour and as long as six hours.[52] Restrooms for these artists are said to have been portable toilets outside, and some idols rented other accommodations nearby rather than have to sit in their cars. An official representative from an idol group confessed, "Most of the singers have a bad waist. It is hard to sit in the car for a long time," They continued, "Some singers rented separate accommodations and waited there."[53] A source from 2020 MAMA spoke with No Cut News. They stated that while it would have been good to have provided separate spaces for everyone, they had to follow regulations to prevent the spread of COVID-19. “We are a music show and there is absolutely no reason that we would treat singers [negligently],” they stated.[54] On December 9, Mnet again responded, "It is because there cannot be more than 100 people in one space in the second stage of distancing due to the COVID-19 quarantine rules. It was a situation where there was insufficient space in the waiting room, and it was not discriminating between singers and actors."[55]

Map of Indonesia

An Indonesian map was shown in the broadcast live by Mnet while publicizing the enthusiasm of K-pop around the world. Indonesia was the country that voted the most in this event excluding South Korea. However, the map displayed was false. The map showed Sumatra Island and Java Island are joined, while Bali Island and Lombok Island, which are next to Java, have disappeared. West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, and Maluku were also not marked. Sulawesi and Papua were too far apart.[56][57]

Map of the Philippines

During the awards show, Mnet announced the Top 5 Regions sending the most love on MAMA 2020. However, the Philippines map shown was false. The islands of Palawan, Marinduque, Mindoro, and Romblon in Luzon were missing together with the Visayas, one of the three main land groups in the Philippines. Filipino fans also complained about only accessing the live stream through Smart Communications.[58]

Poor working environment

On December 11, Dispatch released a report of the severe levels of dust particles that made vision and breathing difficult during artists' performance recordings. The '2020 MAMA' took place at the CJ ENM Contents World located in Paju, a construction site expected to be completed in 2023. According to the Paju City Hall Architecture Department, the construction progress is 30-40%. There were signs posted on the perimeter of the construction zone including "Caution: snakes", "Caution: fire hazards", and "Warning: drop hazards". Performance recordings took place in one of two completed buildings on-site, Studio 6. Each performing artist took to the stage at least two times, coming on and off the stage and the set for a duration of at least 4 hours. The reporters who visited the site noted that their throats hurt from inhaling the dust. CJ E&M responded that it was comfortable because it was a 'new building'. "At the time of recording, 100% of the air conditioning system was operating" , but representatives from the K-Pop artists claimed that there were rehearsals and pre-recordings taking place until the morning of the ceremony. "They then removed the sets used for the pre-recordings and set up the live ceremony set immediately before the event."[59]

According to a representative from the city of Paju, CJ ENM did receive approval from the city to carry out filming in Studio 5 and Studio 6, the two completed buildings at CJ ENM Contents World. However, dust particle levels at the construction site of CJ ENM Contents World have not undergone check-ups since the construction first began in 2019. The official continued, "We have not checked for fine dust separately before MAMA. There was no request at all for the related sector."[59]

Notes

  1. ^ Recorded at CJ E&M Studio in Ilsan
  2. ^ Pre-recorded at Seoul World Cup Stadium (before Level 2 social distancing measure were implemented)
  3. ^ Recorded at CBS Television City in Los Angeles
  4. ^ Restricted access on some countries due to broadcasting rights.

References

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  8. ^ a b c "MAMA Judging Criteria - Understanding for Voting System | Mwave". mama.mwave.me. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  9. ^ Taemin:
  10. ^ Jessi:
  11. ^ Hwasa:
    • Intro: [2020 MAMA] Hwa Sa_Maria (Online video). South Korea: Mnet K-POP. December 6, 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2020 – via YouTube.
    • "María": [2020 MAMA] Hwa Sa_Maria (Online video). South Korea: Mnet K-POP. December 6, 2020. Event occurs at 1:56. Retrieved December 7, 2020 – via YouTube.
  12. ^ Jessi X Hwasa:
  13. ^ Park Sung-hoon of Enhypen:
  14. ^ Enhypen:
  15. ^ Cravity:
  16. ^ Monsta X:
  17. ^ Oh My Girl:
  18. ^ (G)I-dle:
  19. ^ Oh My Girl X (G)I-dle:
  20. ^ Juyeon of The Boyz:
  21. ^ The Boyz:
  22. ^ Ateez:
  23. ^ Stray Kids:
  24. ^ Juyeon of The Boyz X Hyunjin of Stray Kids X San of Ateez:
  25. ^ JO1:
  26. ^ Treasure:
  27. ^ TXT:
  28. ^ Iz*One:
  29. ^ Got7:
    • "Not by the Moon": [2020 MAMA] GOT7_NOT BY THE MOON (Online video). South Korea: Mnet K-POP. December 6, 2020. Retrieved December 9, 2020 – via YouTube.
    • "Last Piece": [2020 MAMA] GOT7_LAST PIECE (Online video). South Korea: Mnet K-POP. December 6, 2020. Retrieved December 9, 2020 – via YouTube.
  30. ^ Mamamoo:
  31. ^ Seventeen:
  32. ^ NCT U:
  33. ^ WayV:
  34. ^ NCT Dream:
  35. ^ NCT 127:
  36. ^ NCT:
    • "RESONANCE": [2020 MAMA] NCT_RESONANCE (Online video). South Korea: Mnet K-POP. December 6, 2020. Event occurs at 2:19. Retrieved December 8, 2020 – via YouTube.
  37. ^ Twice:
  38. ^ Winter of Aespa:
  39. ^ (G)I-dle:
  40. ^ YooA of Oh My Girl:
  41. ^ Kwon Eun-bi, Lee Chae-yeon,
    Choi Ye-na, & Kim Chae-won of Iz*One:
  42. ^ BoA:
  43. ^ BTS:
    • "On": [2020 MAMA] BTS_ON (Online video). South Korea: Mnet K-POP. December 6, 2020. Event occurs at 1:42. Retrieved December 12, 2020 – via YouTube.
    • "Dynamite": [2020 MAMA] BTS_Dynamite (Online video). South Korea: Mnet K-POP. December 6, 2020. Event occurs at 0:18. Retrieved December 12, 2020 – via YouTube.
    • "Life Goes On": [2020 MAMA] BTS_Life Goes On (Online video). South Korea: Mnet K-POP. December 6, 2020. Event occurs at 0:35. Retrieved December 12, 2020 – via YouTube.
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External links

MAMA Awards
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