On the 16th, a global press conference for "21MAMA" (Mnet ASIAN MUSIC AWARDS) was held starting at 10 AM. Broadcaster Ahn Hyung-mo served as the host and simultaneous interpreter, with Kim Hyung-soo, Head of CJ ENM's Music Contents Division, Kim Dong-hyun, Director of the Convention Business Bureau, and Park Chan-wook, CP of Mnet, in attendance.

First, "MAMA" looked back on its achievements over the past 12 years. Over 12 years, "MAMA" has been broadcast live in approximately 200 regions, securing 32 million live viewers. Its influence has expanded with 540 million global votes and 2.2 billion views on digital platforms.

Future goals were also revealed. Particularly noteworthy are the awards ceremonies in Asian hubs and neighboring regions, and the future hosting of the "MAMA" awards ceremony in the United States. Through this, the plan is to lead the trends of Korean culture.

First, there is high interest in the upcoming awards ceremony. "2021 MAMA" carries three messages: "A Challenge of Different Value, Newness that Breaks Prejudice." Scheduled are stages by musicians who were active this year, collaboration stages by representative 4th generation idol members, a special stage by the syndrome-inducing group Wanna One, a stage by the 8 crews from "Street Woman Fighter" who gained immense popularity this year, and an appearance by pop star Ed Sheeran.

Lee Hyori will be the first female host for the "MAMA" awards ceremony. Park Chan-wook CP stated, "Lee Hyori has been involved in K-pop for over 20 years, and I believe she represents the past, present, and future of K-pop. She was a perfect fit for this year's concept, so we made efforts to offer her the role." He added, "Since she lives in Jeju Island, our manager sent the proposal the day before going to Jeju, and the manager spoke with her there. Lee Hyori graciously accepted, so we were able to invite her."

A notable point is that it will be held as an in-person event. Park Chan-wook stated, "This year's awards ceremony concept is 'MAKESOME NOISE.' It's a word that singers have wanted to shout for the past year but couldn't. The biggest change this year is that singers and audiences can meet in person." He continued, "We cannot invite a large audience, but we believe the meeting between singers and audiences is the biggest change. We plan to proceed safely while adhering to government quarantine regulations. We are preparing many stages that viewers can look forward to."



Kim Dong-hyun, Director of the Convention Business Bureau, added, "Although we decided to hold it in person, as you saw in the video, we won't have a large audience. It is being prepared under quarantine guidelines aligned with the 'With Corona' policy. Dressing rooms for artists and performers are being prepared on-site without issues. The safety of artists, audiences, and staff is paramount, so preparations are underway under quarantine guidelines."

The criticism that there are too many award categories is raised almost every year. Regarding this, Director Kim Dong-hyun said, "After 'MAMA' concludes, we receive various positive feedback and criticisms the next day. Among them, the most frequently asked question is about the awards. First, I want to say that we use the voices of fans and media as nourishment. We continuously consider and ponder these points when planning for the future."



He continued, "Awards are given to those who achieved the best results recognized by everyone in that year, and to those who can be expected to achieve more through that award. As K-pop's global influence grows, 'MAMA' is also evolving into a system that can build its capabilities as a global top-tier award, and there are several aspects of this evolution this year."

◆The criteria for awards are popularity, expertise, and fairness. Director Kim Dong-hyun emphasized, "This year, we have reinforced various global indicators for popularity and newly established award categories decided solely by global fan voting. For expertise, we have invited individuals who can globally evaluate K-pop, and we are evolving to ensure more transparent and fair judging results, allowing 'MAMA' to grow as a K-pop awards ceremony."



Due to time constraints, the press conference on this day did not provide an opportunity to resolve many questions. Attention is focused on how "MAMA," which has vowed to become a "global top-tier" award following international prestigious ceremonies, will present itself at this year's event. "2021 MAMA" will begin at 6 PM on December 11th.

 

These are English translations of articles from our GTTOUR Japanese website.