MAMA Awards Chief Producer Yoon Shin Hye Shares How K-Pop's Biggest Awards Show Came To Hollywood

Congratulations on what is sure to be the biggest MAMA Awards yet. While I know there has been talk of a US ceremony in the past, what happened to make it official this year?

Yoon Shin Hye: Looking back at our 25-year legacy at MAMA, MAMA has been held across Asia, including Macau, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Japan, and has grown to become the No. 1 K-Pop award in the world, which started as “Mnet Asian Music Awards.” During our 25-year journey, MAMA Awards realized the value of “MUSIC MAKES ONE” with the growth of K-pop and created our own unparalleled system and expertise by facing and overcoming countless challenges.This paved the way for hosting the MAMA Awards in the US

How long did it take to confirm MAMA in LA?

Every year as we hold KCON LA, I felt the intense passion of the fans in the US and thought that 2024 would be the right time to take a first step in the US with the growth of K-pop. In the planning phase, we came up with the idea of ​​”BIG BLUR”, as it is about blurring the lines between time and space, online and offline, fantasy and reality, language and culture, I thought it would be fun to run the MAMA Awards in relays from USA in Japan, and that fits this year's story perfectly.

How did the Los Angeles lineup come together?

With the MAMA Awards making a major first step in the US, we thought it would make sense to have some newbies. So we put together a lineup for the first US MAMA Awards featuring up-and-coming artists. In addition, we have JY Park, who is marking the 30th anniversary of his debut, and RIIZE, who have special memories in the US. their debuts at the MAMA Awards.

What happened to the collaborations between JY Park and Anderson .Paak and KATSEYES with the LA Rams Cheerleaders? Take us through the process.

We wanted to showcase and present collaborations that have not been seen anywhere else only at the MAMA Awards, and what only MAMA can do. This year marks the 30th anniversary of JY Park's debut — he's a famous K-pop producer and K-pop artist — and Anderson .Paak is a Grammy Award winner. Anderson .Paak also has a keen interest in K-pop and recently directed a K-pop film titled K-Pops! and, as it happens, the two artists belong to the same tribe of Miryang Park [a Korean clan originating from the southeastern city of Miryang in South Korea].

Additionally, we have another special collaboration between global girl group KATSEYE and the Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders. We brought ideas of what we can only do in LA, what we can only see at MAMA, and to perform with a diverse group of artists and become one through music at MAMA.

Actor Park Bo Gum will host the US date. How do you and he prepare?

Park Bo Gum has been with MAMA as a host since 2017 and hosts the show honestly and delivers what MAMA wants to say about its value and story. We are confident that we can convey our message and story well with our host, Park Bo Gum, at the MAMA Awards in the US. The Park is also looking forward to hosting.

What challenges have you faced or do you expect to face in making the MAMA Awards in LA a success for the first time?

MAMA tries a new thing every year. We strive to present various stages with unparalleled scale and provide unique experiences to global fans. This year, the MAMA Awards will be held in the US and Japan in relay and will be broadcast live around the world. This reflects our commitment to bringing people together around the world. This year's concept means especially the opening and creation of a new MAMA world that transcends the dimensions of time and space. We decided to host the MAMA Awards in two different locations, starting in Los Angeles on the 21st and then moving to Osaka for two days. Taking a first step is challenging, but at the same time meaningful. Given the time difference and distance, it was not easy to arrange a meeting to prepare and discuss, but the whole process was meaningful and fun to work towards the same goal with artists and staff to create a great show.

The Dolby Theater in Hollywood is a very different venue than the Kyocera Dome. How do you create a seamless experience between a theater and a stadium?

The LA Dolby Theater is a symbolic place for many and the home of the Oscars, where the Academy Awards are held every year. it's like the heart of Hollywood. In recent years, the MAMA Awards have been held in a dome-style venue, and the Dolby Theater has its own mood as a venue and different features. We will show something different from the previous MAMA stages and the artists will take the stage in a different way in the special venue.

With Los Angeles opening this year's MAMA Awards, share the ways you'll be creating the “Big Blur: What is Real?” theme; It is very interesting but somewhat abstract.

MAMA has always wondered what kind of new thing will be created when new technology meets art, and has visualized and created stages with this idea. MAMA's concepts were comprehensive, reflecting trends and environmental changes such as the world's shift from the analog to the digital age and global internet connectivity in this digital age. At this year's MAMA, we wanted to talk about the chaos caused by rapid technological change in our time, which is happening faster than ever before, and how technological advancement and convergence between industries is affecting the music industry. We also reflected our desire to create the “NEW THING” of MOM that crosses the boundaries between fantasy and reality, time and space and online and offline. And we wanted to ask a question “What is real?” and make people think about what kind of music they really like.

Historically, MAMA has been a place to announce new TV projects or teasers, such as Production 48 or Boys Planet. Any surprises for the audience this time?

As we took an uncharted route, MAMA will be full of ever-evolving shows. We work hard to meet high expectations. MAMA is a “big live show” and will have many amazing moments. Although watching performances on clips is becoming more and more common these days, I'm sure it will be much more fun to watch live.