- Mama ceremony has been staged in Hong Kong every year since 2012, as well as in other Asian cities, but organiser decided on a single show in Japan this year
- While the cancellation was known, this is the first time a source with direct knowledge of the matter has confirmed anti-government protests are the reason
One of the K-pop industry's biggest annual awards shows will be skipping Hong Kong this year due to the city's ongoing protests, a source with direct knowledge of the matter says.
The Mnet Asian Music Awards (Mama) were launched in 1999 by South Korean entertainment company CJ E&M and have been staged in Hong Kong every year since 2012, as well as in other Asian cities including Macau, Singapore and Yokohama.
Last year, the Mama ceremonies were split between Hong Kong, Seoul and Saitama in Japan, but this year Hong Kong is being bypassed by Mama in favour of a single event, to be held in the Japanese city of Nagoya on December 4.
A source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters that "after internal discussions, the Mama organiser decided not to hold the event in Hong Kong because of the protests".
In a statement to Reuters, CJ E&M said Hong Kong had been ruled out as a host for Mama 2019 considering "various circumstances", without elaborating.
Hong Kong is in its 24th straight week of unrest sparked by proposed legislation on extradition, since withdrawn. The escalating protests have led to the cancellation of several large-scale events, including the Rolling Loud hip-hop festival (scheduled for October 19-20), the Wine & Dine Festival (October 31 to November 3) and the Hong Kong Formula E-Prix car-racing event (March 1, 2020).
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