The first performers for the 2026 MAMA Awards have been revealed, bringing together established K-pop names and rising acts for the two-day ceremony in Osaka, Japan. The initial lineup is split into two chapters, with BABYMONSTER, ENHYPEN, LE SSERAFIM and NAYEON among the artists set to take the stage on November 20 and 21.
Chapter 1 features ALPHADRIVEONE, BABYMONSTER, ENHYPEN, ILLIT, INI, NCT WISH and RESCENE.
Chapter 2 will feature CORTIS, LE SSERAFIM, KiiiKiii, NAYEON and ZEROBASEONE.
Your daily dose of music news, trends, and fresh drops.
InMusic Newsletter
Several of the announced acts arrive with major developments of their own. BABYMONSTER is preparing to release new music on October 23 while continuing its CHOOM world tour, following the music video for “CHOOM” surpassing 200 million views. ENHYPEN, meanwhile, is preparing a November release after making a strong Billboard showing with THE SIN: BLISS.
LE SSERAFIM also enters the ceremony following a strong run in Japan, where “Made My Night” topped the Oricon chart. The group has additionally sold out multiple U.S. tour stops. NAYEON has kept her name in the conversation through a surprise duet with Charlie Puth and her collaboration with Alok on “Bye Bye Inhibitions.”
The first lineup also highlights the range of artists represented in this year’s nominations. CORTIS and ALPHADRIVEONE are part of a newer generation making its way into the awards conversation, while ENHYPEN, NCT WISH, ILLIT and LE SSERAFIM are competing in major group categories. BABYMONSTER is among the nominees for Best Female Group, alongside ILLIT, aespa, BLACKPINK, Hearts2Hearts, IVE, LE SSERAFIM and NMIXX.
The 2026 MAMA Awards nominations were announced on October 12, with BTS, BLACKPINK, Stray Kids, aespa, TXT and ATEEZ among the prominent names featured across the categories. Album of the Year contenders include BTS’s ARIRANG, BLACKPINK’s DEADLINE, ENHYPEN’s THE SIN: VANISH, ATEEZ’s GOLDEN HOUR: Part.5 and CORTIS’s GREENGREEN, alongside releases from other leading acts.
Organized by CJ ENM’s Mnet and presented by Visa, the ceremony will take place at Kyocera Dome Osaka on November 20–21. Fans’ Choice voting runs from October 12 to October 22 through Mnet Plus and X, while the expanded MAMA FAN FESTA is scheduled for November 9–21. With more performers expected to be announced, the next reveal could bring additional major names into a lineup already spanning multiple generations of K-pop.
Leave a Reply