5 Highlight Moments of the 2020 Mnet MAMAs
“Silver Quarantine Lady” takes the spotlight while BoA celebrates her 20th debut anniversary.
Music awards ceremonies continue to take place with social distancing measures as COVID-19 restrictions impact the world. The 2020 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMAs), one of K-pop‘s biggest annual events, spotlighted the growing global presence of the industry through virtual performances held in Paju, South Korea. Here, we’ve rounded up some of the most memorable moments from the night ranging from anticipated collaborations to some of the year’s hottest performances.
Marking its 22nd anniversary, the MAMAs were hosted with no live audience under the theme “NEW-TOPIA.” The event, originally scheduled to happen in Hong Kong, took place at an undisclosed location instead, given the ongoing pandemic. Highlight winners of the show include BTS for Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Worldwide Icon of the Year, Best Music Video and Best Male Group, while BLACKPINK took home the trophy for Best Female Group. The ceremony also emphasized K-drama‘s success with Itaewon Class‘ soundtrack, “Start Over” by Gaho.
Scroll down below to see some of the best highlights of the 2020 MAMAs.
Taemin opens the show with his latest releases.
Earlier this year, SuperM and SHINee‘s Taemin released Act 1 and Act 2 of his solo project, Never Gonna Dance Again. The musician opened the night with a stage inspired by a traditional Korean palace, presenting a powerful performance for his releases “Criminal,” “Heaven” and “IDEA.”
Jessi and Hwasa collaborate to perform Rain‘s 2020 hit, “GANG.”
Having made headlines for their four-way collaboration dubbed the Refund Sisters, Hwasa and Jessi reunited on stage to dance to Rain’s “GANG.” The track, which originally released in 2017, became a hit this year, leading to SSAK3, a much-talked-about project between Rain, Lee Hyori and Yoo Jaeseok. Jessi appeared wearing a head-to-toe LA Lakers set designed by AMBUSH‘s Yoon, the NBA and Nike.
“Silver Quarantine Lady” becomes a trending topic while keeping the stage COVID-free.
Reflecting the ongoing pandemic and ensuring safety for all, the MAMAs featured an individual dressed in a futuristic silver bodysuit to disinfect the stage throughout the night. Dubbed the “Silver Quarantine Lady,” the figure began trending on social media as she was seen with a large machine on stage. Some viewers raised questions on whether it is safe to spray disinfectant solution for presenters to breathe in.
BTS’ Suga appears on stage as a hologram.
Unable to attend the awards ceremony due to his recent shoulder surgery, BTS’ Suga appeared on stage as a hologram instead. Fans and viewers were in awe of the technology that was strikingly realistic, as the artist was seen in an all-white outfit while rapping for the group’s recent track, “Life Goes On.”
K-Pop’s OG diva BoA revisits some of her most iconic hits to celebrate her 20th debut anniversary.
BoA, who made her debut back in 2000 at the age of 13, celebrated her 20th anniversary by performing some of her most iconic hits such as “No.1” and “Only One.” K-pop rookies WINTER of aespa, (G)I-DLE, YooA of OH MY GIRL and IZ*ONE also honored the OG diva by covering her tracks “Peace B,” “Listen To My Heart,” “Tree” and “Atlantis Princess.”
