Hong Kong protests the reason top K-pop awards show skipping the city, music industry source says

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

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K-pop group Seventeen perform at the 2018 Mama show in Hong Kong. The annual K-pop awards show will skip Hong Kong because of the continuing anti-government protests, a music industry source says. Photo: Mama

Published: 11:28am, 12 Nov 2019Updated: 11:22am, 18 Feb 2020

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”.

K-pop group BTS receive Album of the Year for their album Love Yourself Tear at the 2018 Mama awards show in Hong Kong. Photo: Mnet Asian Music Awards

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.