The 2015

Mnet Asian Music Awards The MAMA Awards (formerly Mnet Asian Music Awards) is a major music awards ceremony presented annually by entertainment company CJ E&M. First held in South Korea, the majority of prizes has been won by K-pop artists, although there are other As ...

ceremony, organized by

CJ E&M CJ E&M (Hangul: 씨제이이앤엠, an initialism for CJ Entertainment & Media) is a South Korean entertainment and mass media company created by CJ Group in 2011. As of July 2018, CJ E&M is a division of CJ ENM. History CJ E&M was established a ...

through its music channel

Mnet M-Net (an abbreviation of Electronic Media Network) is a South African pay television channel established by Naspers in 1986. The channel broadcasts both local and international programming, including general entertainment, children's series, ...

, took place on December 2, 2015, at AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong. The ceremony was the sixth consecutive Mnet Asian Music Awards to be hosted outside of

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

. Nominees were announced on October 30, 2015. Leading the nominees and awards was

Big Bang The Big Bang event is a physical theory that describes how the universe expanded from an initial state of high density and temperature. Various cosmological models of the Big Bang explain the evolution of the observable universe from the ...

with six. By the end of the ceremony the group received four wins alongside

Exo Exo ( ko, 엑소; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean-Chinese boy band based in Seoul formed by SM Entertainment in 2011 and debuted in 2012. The group consists of nine members: Xiumin, Suho, Lay, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai ...

, the most received awards of the night.

Background

This event marked the seventeenth Mnet Asian Music Awards. It was simultaneously broadcast live in Korea, Japan, America, Southeast Asia through various channels as well as via online live streaming. The event took place in the same country and the same venue for the third consecutive time. This year MAMA's theme/concept included "...fantastic stages through 'State of TechArt', a concept that combines cutting-edge technology and art." About 10,000 fans and 2,000 staff members attended the awards show.

Performers

Presenters

Moon Hee-joon Moon Hee-joon (; or spelled Moon Hee-jun; born March 14, 1978) is a South Korean pop rock singer-songwriter signed under SidusHQ. He initially rose to fame as the leader of former boy band H.O.T. under SM Entertainment. Biography 1996–2001: ...

, Shin A-young, Z.Hera – red carpet hosts *

Psy Park Jae-sang (, ; born December 31, 1977), known professionally as Psy (stylized in all caps as PSY) (; ; ), is a South Korean singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Psy is known domestically for his humorous videos and stage per ...

– main host *

Yeo Jin-goo Yeo Jin-goo (, born August 13, 1997) is a South Korean actor. Yeo began his career as a child actor, debuting in the film '' Sad Movie'' (2005). Nicknamed "Nation's Little Brother", he went on to play the younger characters of the lead roles in ...

and

Kim So-hyun Kim So-hyun (; born June 4, 1999) is a South Korean actress who began her career as a child in 2006, initially gaining public attention for playing pivotal roles in ''Moon Embracing the Sun'' (2012) and '' Missing You'' (2013). She took on he ...

– presented

Best New Artist The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...

Jung Suk-won Jung Suk-won (; born May 16, 1985) is a South Korean actor. He began his entertainment career as a stuntman with the Seoul Action School after being discharged from the Marines, then turned to modeling and acting, notably in the television serie ...

and

Hong Soo-ah Hong Soo-ah (born Hong Geun-young on June 30, 1986) is a South Korean actress. She is known for her early 2000s role in the sitcom ''Nonstop''.Best Music Video The Grammy Award for Best Music Video is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos. Hon ...

Seo Kang-joon Seo Kang-joon (born Lee Seung-hwan on October 12, 1993) is a South Korean actor and singer who is a member of the group 5urprise. He gained recognition with his role in the television series ''Cheese in the Trap'' (2016) and has since starred i ...

and

Kim So-eun Kim So-eun (born September 6, 1989) is a South Korean actress. She rose to fame in 2009 in the popular television drama ''Boys Over Flowers''. She has since starred in ''Happiness in the Wind'' (2010), '' A Thousand Kisses'' (2011–12), ''Liar ...

– presented Best Dance Performance – Solo and

Best Rap Performance The Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance is an honor presented to recording artists for quality rap performances. It was first presented at the 31st Annual Grammy Awards in 1989 and again at the 32nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1990, after which p ...

Lee Kwang-soo Lee Kwang-soo (, born July 14, 1985) is a South Korean actor, entertainer, and model. He made his acting debut in the sitcom ''Here He Comes'' (2008) and received further recognition for his roles in medical melodrama ''It's Okay, That's Love'' ...

and

Park Bo-young Park Bo-young (, born February 12, 1990) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her leading roles in the hit films ''Scandal Makers'' (2008), '' A Werewolf Boy'' (2012) and ''On Your Wedding Day'' (2018), and the television series '' ...

– presented Best Female Artist and Best Male Artist *

Park Shin-hye Park Shin-hye (, born February 18, 1990) is a South Korean actress and singer. She gained recognition as a child on TV shows such as ''Stairway to Heaven'' (2003), and ''Tree of Heaven'' (2006). Later on, she would achieve further success when ...

– introduced 'Girls' Education' campaign *

Park Bo-gum Park Bo-gum (; born June 16, 1993) is a South Korean actor. He gained recognition for his diverse range of roles in film and television, notably, a psychopathic lawyer in '' Hello Monster'' (2015), a genius Go player in ''Reply 1988'' (2015– ...

– promoted sponsor Olive Young (via video) *

Lee Ki-woo Lee Ki-woo (born October 23, 1981) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in '' The Classic'' (2003), ''Tale of Cinema'' (2005), ''A Love to Kill'' (2005), ''Flower Boy Ramyun Shop'' (2011), '' Rain or Shine'' (2017–2018), and ...

and Stephanie Lee – presented Worldwide Favourite Artist *

Kim Jong-kook Kim Jong-kook (; born April 25, 1976) is a South Korean singer, entertainer, and actor. Kim debuted as a member of South Korean duo Turbo in 1995. The duo was considered to be one of the most popular idols in that time and sold out millions of ...

– presented Best Asian Artist awardee

Jolin Tsai Jolin Tsai (; ; born September 15, 1980) is a Taiwanese singer, songwriter, and actress. Referred to as the " Queen of C-Pop", she is considered one of the most influential figures in Chinese popular culture. She is known for her continual rein ...

Ha Seok-jin Ha Seok-jin (born March 4, 1982) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in TV drama series: ''Radiant Office'' (2017), '' Drinking Solo'' (2016), ''Shark'' (2013) and ''4 Legendary Witches'' (2014), for which he received two nom ...

and

Han Chae-young Kim Ji-young (born September 13, 1980), professionally known by the stage name Han Chae-young, is a South Korean actress. She first gained recognition as the antagonist in the television series ''Autumn in My Heart'' (2000) before gaining wider ...

– presented Global Fan's Choice *

Yoo Yeon-seok Yoo Yeon-seok (born Ahn Yeon-seok on April 11, 1984) is a South Korean actor. After making his acting debut in 2003 with a small role in '' Oldboy'', he resumed his acting career in 2008. His notable works include the films '' Re-encounter'' (2 ...

and

Son Ho-jun Son Ho-jun (born June 27, 1984) is a South Korean actor and singer. Early years and career Son Ho-jun made his acting debut in 2006 in the educational drama, ''Jump 2''. In 2007, Son made his entertainment debut as the leader of Tachyon, a thr ...

– presented Best Vocal Performance *

Go Ah-sung Go Ah-sung is a South Korean actress. She began her career as a child actress, notably in '' The Host''. Her other notable works include ''Snowpiercer'' (2013), ''Samjin Company English Class'' (2020), as well as the TV dramas ''Master of Study' ...

– presented Professional Awards *

Kim Kang-woo Kim Kang-woo (born July 11, 1978) is a South Korean actor. He is best known from his roles in '' The Taste of Money'' and '' The Missing''. Career Kim Kang-woo majored in Theater and Film at Chung-Ang University. In early, Kim work as singer in ...

and

Uee Kim Yu-jin (born April 9, 1988), better known by her stage name Uee (sometimes romanized as U-), is a South Korean singer and actress. She is best known for being a former member of South Korean girl group After School from 2009 to 2017, and ...

– presented Best Dance Performance – Group *

Park Jin-young Park Jin-young (Hangul: 박진영; born December 13, 1971), also known by his stage names J. Y. Park and The Asiansoul or the initials JYP, is a South Korean singer-songwriter, record producer, record executive, and reality television show ju ...

– introduced

Pet Shop Boys The Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of primary vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 50 million records worldwide, and were listed as the most successful duo i ...

Krystal Jung Chrystal Soo Jung (born October 24, 1994), professionally known as Krystal, Krystal Jung or Jung Soo-jung (), is a Korean-American singer and actress based in South Korea. She debuted in 2009 as a member of the South Korean girl group f(x) and ...

– presented Worldwide Inspiration Award *

Han Suk-joon Han Suk-joon (born June 11, 1975) is a South Korean television personality and former announcer. He also appeared in '' Code - Secret Room'' in 2016. Han was previously married to news anchor Kim Mi-jin. He remarried in April 2018. Their daugh ...

– introduced performer

and

– presented Best Collaboration & Unit *

Claudia Kim Kim Soo-hyun (born January 25, 1985), also known as Claudia Kim, is a South Korean actress and model. She has appeared in the television series ''Queen of the Game'' (2006–2007) and ''Marco Polo'' (2014–2016), as well as the films '' Avengers ...

and Elena Torres – presented Best World Performer *

Lee Sang-yoon Lee Sang-yoon (; born August 15, 1981) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his starring roles in '' My Daughter Seo-young'' (2012), '' Angel Eyes'' (2014), ''Liar Game'' (2014), '' On the Way to the Airport'' (2016), '' Whisper'' (2017 ...

and

Choo Ja-hyun Chu Eun-ju (born January 20, 1979), known by her stage name Choo Ja-hyun, is a South Korean actress. Best known in Korea for the films '' Bloody Tie'' (2006) and '' Portrait of a Beauty'' (2008), Choo has also actively worked in China since 200 ...

– presented Best Male Group and Best Female Group *

Gong Hyo-jin Gong Hyo-jin (born April 4, 1980) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her leading role in the film '' Crush and Blush'' (2008), as well as for her popular television series '' Sang Doo! Let's Go to School'' (2003), ''Thank You'' (20 ...

– presented Song of the Year *

Lee Jung-jae Lee Jung-jae (; born December 15, 1972) is a South Korean actor and filmmaker. Considered one of the most successful actors in South Korea, he has received various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Cr ...

and

Han Hyo-joo Han Hyo-joo (Korean: 한효주; born February 22, 1987) is a South Korean film and television actress, model and singer. She is best known for her leading roles in television series such as ''Heaven & Earth'' (2007), '' Iljimae'' (2008), ''Brill ...

– presented Album of the Year *

Chow Yun-fat Chow Yun-fat (born 18 May 1955), previously known as Donald Chow, is a Hong Kong actor. He is perhaps best known for his collaborations with filmmaker John Woo in the five Hong Kong action heroic bloodshed films: ''A Better Tomorrow'', ''A Be ...

– presented

Artist of the Year ''Artist of the Year'' is a television competition shown on the Sky Arts channel (formerly known as Artsworld and Sky Arts 1) which aims to find the best portrait and landscape painter every year. Overview Through several rounds of regional comp ...

Judging criteria

Eligible nominees included songs or albums released from October 26, 2014, until October 30 the next year. Winners will be selected based on six categories including online voting and evaluation from MAMA professional panel.Overseas categories and Professional categories have different criteria.

Winners and nominees

Winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface.

Special Awards

* Next Generation Asian Artist –

Monsta X Monsta X (; stylized as MONSTA X) is a South Korean boy group formed through the reality survival program ''No.Mercy'' under Starship Entertainment. The group is currently composed of six members: Shownu, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Joohoney ...

* Best Asian Style –

* iQiYi Worldwide Favourite Artist –

* Best Asian Artist:

Potato The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern Unit ...

;

Dong Nhi Dong or DONG may refer to: Places * Dong Lake, or East Lake, a lake in China * Dong, Arunachal Pradesh, a village in India * Dong (administrative division) (동 or 洞), a neighborhood division in Korea Persons *Queen Dong (1623–1681), princes ...

;

RAN Ran, RaN and ran may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Ran'' (film), a 1985 film directed by Akira Kurosawa * "Ran" (song), a 2013 Japanese song by Luna Sea * '' Ran Online'', a 2004 MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role playing game) * ...

;

Stefanie Sun Stefanie Sun (, born 23 July 1978) is a Singaporean singer-songwriter. In 2000, she released her debut album, '' Yan Zi'', which won her a Golden Melody Award for Best New Artist. In 2004, she released her eighth studio album, '' Stefanie'', w ...

;

AKB48 AKB48 (pronounced ''A.K.B. Forty-Eight'') is a Japanese idol girl group named after the Akihabara (''Akiba'' for short) area in Tokyo, where the group's theater is located. AKB48's producer, Yasushi Akimoto, wanted to form a girl group with it ...

;

* Sina Weibo Global Fan's Choice – Female: f(x) * Sina Weibo Global Fan's Choice – Male:

* Best Producer:

; Phuc Bo; Gao Xiaosong * Best Engineer: Ko Hyun-jong; Lupo ; Yoshinori Nakayama *Best Live Entertainment: In Jae-jin; Wu Qun Da; Vit Suthitnavil * Worldwide Inspiration Award –

* Best World Performer –

BTS BTS (), also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010 and debuting in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment. The septet—consisting of members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook—co-writes and co-produ ...

Multiple wins

The following artist(s) received two or more wins (excluding the special awards):

Multiple nominations

The following artist(s) received two or more nominations (excluding the special awards):

2NE1's performance

As CL was the only 2NE1 member originally intended to perform at the event, 2NE1's surprise performance at the award ceremony received considerable media attention. Following the conclusion of CL's "

Hello Bitches "Hello Bitches" is a song by South Korean rapper and singer-songwriter CL (rapper), CL, a member of girl group 2NE1. It was released on November 21, 2015, through YG Entertainment as her second solo single. The track was written by CL, along with ...

", the rest of the group suddenly appeared onstage and reunited to perform "Fire" and "I Am the Best". Because of

Park Bom Park Bom (born March 24, 1984), previously known mononymously as Bom, is a South Korean singer. She is best known as a member of the South Korean girl group 2NE1. Park began her musical career in 2006, featuring on singles released by labelma ...

's hiatus following her scandal from 2014, it was the group's first performance in a year and would be ultimately their last before their disbandment in 2016. ''

SBS PopAsia SBS PopAsia is an Australian digital radio station that broadcasts music, most notably from East Asia and Southeast Asia, on digital radio, online and on mobile devices. The station originated as a two-hour segment on SBS youth radio programme ...

'' wrote that "Fans and press too, were in for a pleasant surprise when 2NE1 appeared on the stage -- members one by one. It went from a CL show to a 2NE1 reunion that no-one was prepared for. The transition was on point and seriously, words cannot do the performances justice." ''Fuse'' regarded it as one of the best performances of 2015 worldwide, alongside those of

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

and Madonna. It was named one of the most unforgettable moments in MAMA history by '' Cosmopolitan Philippines'' and ''SBS PopAsia''.