The 2018 Mnet Asian Music Awards ceremony, organized by CJ E&M through its music channel Mnet, took place from December 10 through December 14, 2018 (dubbed as "MAMA Week") in South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong. The ceremony was the first Mnet Asian Music Awards hosted in South Korea in nine years, the 20th ceremony in the show's history, and the second ceremony which took place in three locations. This was also the first ceremony broadcast worldwide online via YouTube. The three days event generated over 50 million messages sent on Twitter.
Four Grand Prizes (Daesangs) were given throughout the ceremonies; The inaugural Worldwide Icon of the Year is given alongside Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Artist of the Year.
Shows "2018 MAMA Premiere in Korea" celebrated and honored new artists in both South Korea and other parts of Asia. "2018 MAMA Fans' Choice in Japan" awarded artists in fan voted categories and also announced the first Worldwide Icon of the Year. "2018 MAMA in Hong Kong" was the main event and the show's finale. The show gave awards to the artists that made great achievements in 2018.
Event Date Location Host Venue 2018 MAMA Premiere in Korea December 10, 2018 Seoul, South Korea Jung Hae-in Dongdaemun Design Plaza 2018 MAMA Fans' Choice in Japan December 12, 2018 Saitama, Japan Park Bo-gum Saitama Super Arena 2018 MAMA in Hong Kong December 14, 2018 Hong Kong Song Joong-ki AsiaWorld–Expo, Arena
Criteria Division Online Voting MAMA Professional Panel (Local + Foreign) Music Sales Record Sales Social Media Voting Global M/V View Counts Live Social Media Voting Artist of the Year Award Category by Artist* 20% 30% 30% 20% — — — Song of the Year Award Category by Genre**20% 40% 30% 10% — — — Album of the Year — 40% — 60% — — — Special Prize***30% 70% — — — — — Worldwide Icon of the Year60% — — — 20% 20% +10% Global Top 10 Fans' Choice60% — — — 20% 20% —*Best New (M)ale/(F)emale Artist, Best M/F Artist, Best M/F Group**Best Dance Performance (Solo/M/F Group), Best Vocal Performance (M/F/Group), Best HipHop & Urban Music, Best Band Performance, Best Collaboration, Best OST***Best Music Video
Winners and nominees Online voting opened on the official MAMA' website, the Mwave app, TikTok, and Twitter, on November 1, 2018, one hour after nominees were announced. Voting ended on December 9, 2018.
Winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface.
Main Award Artist of the Year (Daesang) Song of the Year (Daesang)BTS Blackpink Twice Wanna One MamamooTwice – "What Is Love?" Blackpink – "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" iKon – "Love Scenario" Mamamoo – "Starry Night" BTS – "Fake Love" Album of the Year (Daesang)Worldwide Icon of the Year (Daesang)BTS – Love Yourself: Tear Twice – What Is Love? Wanna One – 0+1=1 (I Promise You) Red Velvet – The Perfect Red Velvet Seventeen – You Make My DayBTS Mamamoo Twice Wanna One Got7 Blackpink Seventeen NCT 127 NU'EST W Monsta X Best Male Group Best Female Group Wanna One Got7 NCT 127 NU'EST W BTS Seventeen Twice Blackpink Red Velvet Mamamoo Momoland GFriend Best Male Artist Best Female Artist Roy Kim Dean Park Hyo-shin Zico Hwang Chi-yeul Sunmi IU Chungha Taeyeon Heize Best Dance Performance – Male Group Best Dance Performance – Female GroupSeventeen – "Oh My!" Wanna One – "Boomerang" Got7 – "Lullaby" Monsta X – "Shoot Out" BTS – "Fake Love" Pentagon – "Shine"Twice – "What Is Love?" AOA – "Bingle Bangle" Blackpink – "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" Red Velvet – "Bad Boy" Lovelyz – "That Day" Oh My Girl – "Secret Garden" Best Dance Performance – SoloBest Vocal Performance – Solo Chungha – "Roller Coaster" Sunmi – "Siren" Hyuna – "Lip & Hip" Seungri – "1, 2, 3!" Hyolyn – "Dally (feat. GRAY)" Heize – "Didn't Know Me" Roy Kim – "Only Then" Park Hyo-shin – "Sound of Winter" Im Chang-jung – "There Has Never Been A Day I Haven't Loved You" Jung Seung-hwan – "The Snowman" Best Vocal Performance – Group Best Unit iKon – "Love Scenario" Mamamoo – "Starry Night" BtoB – "Only One For Me" MeloMance – "Tale" Bolbbalgan4 – "Travel"Wanna One – Triple Position – "Kangaroo" Exo-CBX – "Blooming Day" Gugudan SeMiNa – "SeMiNa" Seventeen – BSS – "Just Do It" Girls' Generation – Oh!GG – "Lil' Touch" Best New Artist – Male Best New Artist – Female Stray Kids Haon Kim Dong-han The Boyz Vinxen Hyeongseop X Euiwoong Iz*One Nature GWSN (G)I-dle Loona Fromis 9 Best OST Best Band Performance Seventeen – "A-Teen" (A-Teen) NU'EST W – "And I" (Mr. Sunshine) Roy Kim – "No Longer Mine" (Familiar Wife) Park Hyo Shin – "The Day" (Mr. Sunshine) Paul Kim – "Every Day, Every Moment" (Should We Kiss First?) Hyukoh – "Love Ya!" Day6 – "Shoot Me" F.T. Island – "Summer Night's Dream" Guckkasten – "Stranger" Kiha and the Faces – "Cho Shim"TikTok Best Music VideoBest HipHop & Urban MusicBTS – "Idol" Blackpink – "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" Twice – "What Is Love?" Wanna One – "Beautiful" Shinee – "Good Evening"Zico – "Soulmate (feat. IU)" Dean – "Instagram" Jay Park – "Soju" Crush – "Bittersweet" Heize – "Jenga"
Favorite Award Worldwide Fans' Choice Top 10 Mwave Global Fans' Choice Mamamoo Twice Wanna One BTS Got7 Blackpink Seventeen NCT 127 NU'EST W Monsta XBTS – "Fake Love" Wanna One – "Beautiful" Monsta X – "Dramarama" JBJ – "My Flower" Got7 – "Look" Got7 – "Lullaby" Exo-CBX – "Blooming Day" Seventeen – "Oh My!" Stray Kids – "My Pace" Favorite Music Video Favorite Vocal ArtistBTS – "Idol" Twice – "What Is Love?" Wanna One – "Beautiful" Mamamoo iKon BtoB Favorite Dance Artist (Male) Favorite Dance Artist (Female) BTS Got7 Wanna One Twice Blackpink Red Velvet
Special awards +EventCategoryWinner 2018 MAMA Premiere in Korea Best New Asian Artist Japan Hiragana Keyakizaka46 Indonesia Marion Jola Mandarin Dean Ting Vietnam Orange Thailand The Toys Best Engineer of the Year LalellmaNino & Java Finger Best Composer of the Year Deanfluenza (Dean) Best Producer of the Year Pdogg (BTS) Best Choreographer of the Year Son Sung-deuk (BTS) Best Art Director of the Year MU:E (BTS) Best Video Director of the Year Lo Ging-zim (aMEi) Best Executive Producer of the Year Bang Si-hyuk (BTS) Best of Next (G)I-dle 'DDP' Best Trend Wanna One 2018 MAMA Fans' Choice in Japan 'Kiss Me' Style in Music Monsta X Favorite Dance Artist (Japan) Bullet Train 2018 MAMA in Hong Kong New Asian Artist Iz*One Best Asian Artist Japan Da Pump Indonesia Afgan Mandarin JJ Lin Vietnam Hương Tràm Thailand Peck Palitchoke Best Asian Style BTS Discovery of the Year Momoland 'TikTok' Most Popular Artist Got7 Inspiration Award Janet Jackson
Multiple awards The following artist(s) received three or more awards: Awards Artist(s)9 BTS5 Twice4 Wanna One
Multiple nominations The following artist(s) received seven or more nominations (excluding the special awards): NominationsArtist(s) 11 BTS Wanna One 10 Twice 8 Blackpink Seventeen 7 Got7 Mamamoo
Performers The following individuals and groups, listed in order of appearance, performed musical numbers.
MAMA Premiere in Korea +List of performancesName(s) Performance(s)Notes Sunwoo (The Boyz) & Soyeon ((G)I-dle) "Supermagic" (orig. by Supreme Team)"Rookie's Challenge" (Opening Act) Hyeongseop x Euiwoong "I Don't Care" (orig. by 2NE1) Fromis 9 (Gyuri, Nagyung & Hayoung) "My Type" (orig. by iKon) Stray Kids "Like Ooh-Ahh" (orig. by Twice) Iz*One "Energetic" (orig. by Wanna One) Loona 1/3 "Love&Live""Run The World" Loona Odd Eye Circle "Girl Front" Loona yyxy "love4eva" Loona "Hi High" Hiragana Keyakizaka46 "Kitaishiteinai Jibun (The Me That Doesn't Expect)" Fromis 9 "Love Bomb""Boys And Girls In Wonderland" Hyeongseop x Euiwoong "Love Tint" Fromis 9 & Hyeongseop x Euiwoong "DKDK", "It Will Be Good" Dean Ting "I Miss You" "Best New Asian Artist Performance" Nature "Allegro Cantabile", "Some (You'll Be Mine)" "Girls' Revolution" GWSN "Puzzle Moon" Nature & GWSN "Outro Performance" Marion Jola "Jangan" "Best New Asian Artist Performance" Iz*One "La Vie En Rose" "Blossom Of Love" Kim Dong Han "Good Night Kiss" "From Dusk 'Til Dawn" (G)I-dle "Hann (Alone)", "Latata" The Toys "ก่อนฤดูฝน (Before Rain)" "Best New Asian Artist Performance" Vinxen "Yoo Jae Suk", "Barcode", "U Don't Even Know" "Portrait: Vinxen" Orange "Người Lạ Ơi (Stranger Please)" "Best New Asian Artist Performance" The Boyz "Boy", "Right Here""New Challenger" Stray Kids "My Pace" Wanna One "Hide And Seek", "Spring Breeze" "Eternal Moment"
MAMA Fans' Choice in Japan
+List of performancesName(s) Performance(s)Notes Wanna One "Heartbeat" (orig. by 2PM)"Passion: MAMA's Great Moments" (Opening Act) Stray Kids "Overdose" + "Growl" (orig. by Exo) Wanna One (Jaehwan & Sungwoon)Mamamoo (Solar & Wheein)Monsta X (Jooheon) "Eyes, Nose, Lips" (orig. by Taeyang) Iz*One "The Boys" (orig. by Girls' Generation) Twice (Nayeon, Momo, Sana & Mina) "Bad Girl Good Girl" (orig. by Miss A) Monsta X (Wonho, Kihyun, Minhyuk & IM)Got7 (JB, Yugyeom & Jinyoung) "Fantastic Baby" (orig. by BigBang) Iz*One (Yena & Hitomi)Twice (Momo & Mina)Monsta X (Shownu & Hyungwon)Got7 (JB & Yugyeom) "Bounce" (orig. by Cho Yong-pil) Stray Kids "P.A.C.E", "Hellevator", "District 9" "The New Champion" Bullet Train "Need You" "Japan's Most Representative Dance Group" Monsta X "Spark" (Jooheon), "Jealousy", "Shoot Out" "Crime And Punishment" Iz*One "Dance Performance", "Memory", "La Vie En Rose", "Rumor" "Dear My Friends" NU'EST W "Where You At", "Dejavu", "Help Me", "Shadow" "Before The Dawn" Twice "Yes or Yes", "What Is Love?", "Dance the Night Away" "The Greatest Twice Show" Mamamoo "Cleopatra" (Solar), "Easy" (Wheein), "Selfish" (Moonbyul ft. Chaewon), "Don't" (Hwasa), "Egotistic", "Starry Night" "Born To Be Mamamoo" Wanna One "Light", "Boomerang", "I.P.U [I Promise You]" "Destiny" BTS "Fake Love", "Anpanman" "Birth Of A Hero"
2018 MAMA in Hong Kong
+List of performancesName(s) Performance(s)Notes BTS (RM) Opening speech "Icarus" Tiger JK & SVT (Vernon) "Double Up" "09:18" (Opening Act) Chungha "I Want You (Dance Remix ver.)" Yoon Mi-rae & Tiger JK "Timeless" + "For The People" + "Monster" Yoon Mi-rae, Tiger JK & Bizzy (MFBTY) "Mantra" WJSN "Save Me, Save You" "Girl Gone Wild" Oh My Girl "Remember Me" WJSN and Oh My Girl "Girls on Top (MAMA ver.)" (orig. by BoA) Roy Kim "Only Then", "The Hardest Part" "A Lonely Goodbye" Momoland "BAAM", "Bboom Bboom" "Codename: M&M" Mommy Son & Momoland "Boy Jump" Seventeen "Oh My!", "Flower", "Bring It", "Getting Closer""Episode 17" Heize "Jenga", "First Sight" "Winter Is Here" Chungha "Roller Coaster" + "Love U" Sunmi "Addict", "Siren" Iz*One "Colors", "La Vie en Rose" "Colorize" Nafla x Swings "Wu" + "Bulldozer" "Real Recognize Real" The Quiett x Paloalto "Prime Time" + "Good Day" Changmo x BewhY "Maestro" + "Forever" E SENS "Got To Know" Got7 "Lullaby (Ballad Ver.)" "A Beautiful Nightmare" Yugyeom "Fine (Remix)" Jackson x BamBam x Mark "Nightmare" Got7 "Lullaby (Dark Ver.)" JJ Lin "Little Big Us", "Twilight" "Twilight" JJ Lin x Kim Jong-Kook "Hate That Happiness Came" Wanna One "Burn It Up""One Love" Kang Daniel Solo performanceWanna One "Beautiful (MAMA Ver.)", "Spring Breeze", "Energetic"BTS Intro + "Airplane Pt.2", "O!RUL8,2? Love Yourself Remix", "Idol""Love Yourself +"
Presenters
Korea Jung Hae-in – main host Bae Yoon-young and Lee Ki-woo – presented Best New Asian Artist (Thailand & Vietnam) Jung Hae-in – presented Professional Categories Ji-soo and Jung Chae-yeon – presented Best New Asian Artist (China, Indonesia & Japan) Jung Hae-in – presented New Challenger Performance Kang Seung-hyun – presented Best of Next Award Kim Yu-ri and Hong Jong-hyun – presented Best New Artists Kim So-hyun – presented DDP Best Trend Award
Japan Park Bo-gum – main host Yoo Hyun-min and Lee Da-hee – presented Worldwide Fan Choice Award Minue – presented Favorite Dance Artist (Japan) Ha Seok-jin – presented Favorite Music Video Kwon Hyuk-soo – presented Worldwide Fans Choice Award Choi Tae-joon and Lee Sung-kyung – presented Worldwide Fan Choice Award