Mnet Asia Music Awards (MAMA) 09

for Eloquence Magazine, December 2009.

MAMA rocks!

by Michelle Viljoen

There was music, there was dancing, there were many excited schoolgirls and a much talked about onstage almost-kiss between Ivy and Nikgun, 2pm heartthrob. It was the 2009 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) held recently in Seoul.

Popular songs turned into mini-musicals, an elaborate stage and a line-up of some of Korea’s biggest stars kept audience members entertained during breaks from the actual awards presentation.

The evening’s performances were kicked-off by a booming performance by Drunken Tiger, sending hundreds of schoolgirls into a frenzy of screams not five minutes after the show started. And it didn’t stop.

The audience’s loud enthusiasm lasted until the end pitching at every sight of G-Dragon (who performance of Heartbreaker was followed by a ‘duel’ with Tae-Yang).

When 2NE1 came to the stage for a musical skit of “I don’t care” the audience kept cheering and it reached a feverish climax when Ivy was bent over Nichkun putting her lips very close to his during their performance.

Leading current Korean artists, like Epik High, Kim Tae-Woo and Seo, In-Young wrapped up the performances with a tribute to veteran singer Sim, Soo-Bong.

The night’s other big winners were 2NE1 (Song of the Year – “I don’t care”, Best New Female Group, and Best Music Video), 2PM (Artist of the Year, and Best Male Group), and G-Dragon (Album of the Year).

Other winners:

Best New Male Group – Supreme Team

Best Dance – Kara (Honey)

Best Male Solo Artist – Drunken Tiger

Best Female Solo Artist – Baek, Ji-Young

Best Female Group – Brown Eyed Girls

Best House and Electronic – Brown Eyed Girls

Best Ballade, R&B – Kim, Tae-Woo

Best Asian Star – TVXQ

Best Asian Composer – Park, Jin-Young

Best Trot – Hong, Jin-Young

Best Mixed Group – Eight(8)

Best Hip Hop – Leesang

Best Rock – Boo Hwal