<2009 MAMA> Mama, where is my other half?

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

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.

However, aside from the many problems associated with the ceremony, the singers who went up to the stage to accept an award all gave moving speeches. Hip-hop duo Supreme Team, who won the award for Best New Male Artist, said they wanted to dedicate the award to Dynamic Duo, who discovered them and helped with their debut before heading off to the army. "I think they would be proud of us because they hadn't won Best New Artist." Brown Eyed Girls also expressed their gratitude for their first win in four years for Best Female Group. TVXQ members Hero Jaejoong, Micky Yoochun and Xiah Junsu made their public appearance for the first time in a long while to accept the Best Asian Star award. The three members, who said that they "have never wanted to sing on stage as much as today," also delivered a message to U-know Yunho and Max Changmin. "We want to tell our two friends, who might be watching this, that we love them." Boy band 2PM, who won Best Male Group and Artist of the Year award within a year of their debut, gave a tearful speech dedicated to Jae-beom who is currently in the U.S. after leaving the group several months ago over controversial remarks he made on his MySpace account before his debut. "We would not have won this without you. We are waiting for you, come back soon...... We would like to share this honor with our leader who is not here with us right now."

<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

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