K-pop powerhouses BigBang and BTS are pacing the field for the upcoming 2026 MAMA Awards, pulling in an impressive haul of nominations spanning group efforts and solo ventures.
BigBang collected four group nods—including Artist of the Year and Best Male Group, alongside Best Music Video and Best Dance Performance Male Group for BiiiG. The legendary group's members also flexed their individual star power:
Taeyang secured three solo nominations: Artist of the Year, Best Male Artist, and Best Dance Performance Male Solo for Live Fast Die Slow.
G-Dragon, reigning from his 2025 Artist of the Year win, grabbed a Best Collaboration nod for his feature on Aespa's WDA (Whole Different Animal).
Meanwhile, BTS pulled in five nominations of their own. The septet is up for Artist of the Year, Best Male Group, and Album of the Year for Arirang, alongside Best Vocal Performance Group for Swim and Best Music Video for 2.0. Group member J-Hope also added two individual nods for his feature on Le Sserafim's Spaghetti, competing in Best Collaboration and Best Dance Performance Female Group.
Tomorrow X Together joined the leading pack with three nominations.
The shortlist announcement arrived on the same day first-round voting opened for the 2027 Grammy Awards, which features a historic, dedicated Asian pop category for the first time.
Formerly known as the Mnet Asian Music Awards, the prominent two-night ceremony takes place on November 20 and 21 in Osaka, Japan.
