- World-conquering boy band sweep the biggest annual K-pop awards for second year running, while Tomorrow X Together win best new male artist
- Twice beat out hotly tipped Blackpink for the best female group award, and take home more prizes than any other girl group, at ceremony in Nagoya, Japan
World-conquering boy band BTS swept the biggest annual K-pop awards show for the second year running, taking home eight major awards including best male group, song of the year and album of the year.
The Mnet Asian Music Awards (Mama) ceremony was staged on Wednesday night in the 30,000-capacity Nagoya Dome in Japan by South Korean entertainment and media giant CJ E&M. Last year the main Mama awards show was held in Hong Kong, but it bypassed the city this year because of the anti-government street protests that began six months ago.
The Mama ceremony featured live performances by many of K-pop's biggest stars " including BTS, Twice, Monsta X, Tomorrow X Together (winners of the award for best new male artist), Mamamoo and Itzy (winners of the award for best new female artist) " as well as British singer-songwriter Dua Lipa.
The event came at a sensitive period for the Korean entertainment industry as it deals with the deaths of three stars " Sulli, Goo Hara and Cha In-ha " all in their twenties, in the space of two months.
BTS began their awards haul by winning the prize for best male group, defeating Got7, NCT 127, Monsta X and Seventeen.
The band went on to win the awards for best music video for Boy With Luv (featuring Halsey), album of the year for Map of the Soul: Persona, best male dance performance, worldwide icon of the year, song of the year for Boy With Luv, and finally artist of the year.
Twice scored an upset by winning the award for best female group over the hotly tipped Blackpink. The other nominees for the award were Red Velvet, Mamamoo, Iz*One and GFriend. Twice took home more top awards than any other girl group, also winning the prize for best female dance performance.
BTS and Twice also won the fan awards for favourite male and female artists.
Before the awards ceremony started, the arriving K-pop stars received a rapturous welcome at a red-carpet reception. By far the biggest splash was made by BTS, the seven-member boy band who made history by becoming the first K-pop act to top the US album charts in 2018 with their third studio album "Love Yourself: Tear".
BTS BTS BTSKings arrived #MAMA2019 #BTSatMAMA pic.twitter.com/CHftgRKpvc
" JIN LOCKDOWN (@gukkslovely) December 4, 2019
BTS won five awards at last year's Mama event in Hong Kong: artist of the year, song of the year, best music video, best Asian style and the Mwave Global Fans' Choice award.
The Mama 2019 winners
Artist of the year: BTS
Album of the year: BTS, Map of the Soul: Persona
Song of the year: BTS, Boy With Luv (feat. Halsey)
Worldwide icon of the year: BTS
Best male group: BTS
Best female group: Twice
Best male artist: Baekhyun
Best female artist: Chungha
Best new male artist: Tomorrow X Together
Best new female artist: Itzy
K-pop star Daniel Kang takes a break amid celebrity deaths
Best dance performance " male group: BTS, Boy With Luv (feat. Halsey)
Best dance performance " female group: Twice, Fancy
Best dance performance " solo: Chungha, Gotta Go
Best vocal performance " solo: Taeyeon, Four Seasons
Best vocal performance " group: Bolbbalgan4
Best collaboration: Lee So-ra feat. Suga of BTS, Song Request
Best OST: Gummy, Remember Me (Hotel del Luna)
Best band performance: Jannabi, For Lovers Who Hesitate
Best music video: BTS, Boy With Luv (feat. Halsey)
Qoo10 favourite male artist: BTS
Qoo10 favourite female artist: Twice
Favourite dance performance: Got7
Copyright (c) 2019. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.