2009 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA)
So who was the winner of the K-pop music scene, which was full of ups and downs this year? The 2009 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) made its bow at Seoul's Jamsil Indoor Stadium on November 21. Just like the brand new ceremony that is directed at all of Asia, and born after the abolition of the 10-year long Mnet Km Music Festival (MKMF), the 2009 MAMA Awards aired live in ten countries throughout Asia and featured special performances from China's boy group Bong Bong Dang and Japan's girl band AKB48. Mnet's music events are known for its big scale and unique set-ups and the 2009 MAMA lived up to its reputation with a joint performance by G-Dragon and Taeyang, a musical performance by 2NE1, Seo In-young's tribute to legendary Korean singer Shim Soo-bong and a prisonbreak performance by five female rappers (Yoon Mi-rae, Miryo, Ha Joo-yeon, Hyun-ah and Ji-eun).
No Gee, No U-Know Yunho, No Max Changmin, No Jae-beom
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But compared to the 2008 MKMF, which was full of fantastic performances by top K-pop stars including TVXQ, Rain, Bing Bang, Wonder Girls and Lee Hyori, the 2009 MAMA left much disappointment to viewers including the quality of the sound which has been problematic for a long time. The off-key harmony and awkward pairing of Kara and Doctor Core 911, and Ivy and Nickhun's performance, which showed little synergy compared to last year's steamy performance by Big Bang and Lee Hyori, particularly seemed to display a lack of good planning by the producers. Other disappointments were that Girls' Generation did not perform their hit song "Gee" due to a conflict between Mnet and SM Entertainment, that only three members of TVXQ showed up to accept the Best Asian Star award (also due to legal troubles with SM) and that 2PM accepted the Artist of the Year award without its former leader Jae-beom.
<2009 Mnet Asian Music Awards - List of Winners>
Best New Artist (Male/Female) : Supreme Team / 2NE1
Best Artist (Male/Female) : Drunken Tiger (Tiger JK) / Baek Ji-young
Best Group (Male/Female) : 2PM / Brown Eyed Girls
Best Mixed Group : Eight
Best Rock Song : Boohwal "I Remember"
Best Hip-Hop Song : Leessang "Woman Who Can't Break Up, Man Who Can't Leave (feat. Jung-in)
Best Ballad/R&B Song : Kim Tae-woo "Love Rain"
Best Dance Song : Kara "Honey"
Best House/Electronic Song : Brown Eyed Girls "Abracadabra"
Best Trot Song : Hong Jin-young "Love Battery"
Best OST : SS501 "Because I'm Stupid" (KBS TV series "Boys Over Flowers")
Best Music Video : 2NE1 "Fire"
Best Music Video Director : Director Hong Won-ki (Seo Taiji "Juliet", Wheesung "Insomnia")
Best Asian Star : TVXQ
Best Asian Songwriter : Park Jin-young
Best Global Artist : Pussycat Dolls
Best Global Performance : Lady Gaga
Mobile Choice : Super Junior
Best Digital Song : Baik Ji-young "Like a Bullet Hit Me"
Best Composer : Teddy (2NE1 "Fire")
Best Arrangement : Shinsa-dong Tiger (4minute "Hot Issue")
Best Lyricist : Park Seon-joo (Bobby Kim "Love..That Guy")
Hall of Fame : Shim Soo-bong
Album of the Year : G-Dragon "Heartbreaker"
Song of the Year : 2NE1 "Fire"
Artist of the Year : 2PM
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Reporter : Choi Ji-Eun five@10asia.co.kr
Photographer : Chae ki-won ten@10asia.co.kr
Editor : Lynn Kim lynn2878@asiae.co.kr, Jang Kyung-Jin three@10asia.co.kr
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