The MAMA Awards is a music award ceremony organized by CJ ENM in Korea. Its full name is Mnet Asian Music Awards. The MAMA Awards are hailed as “the Grammy Awards of Asia”. The award ceremony is usually held from November to December each year and has been held 26 times. This year, the organizers moved the award ceremony to the Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong. It was planned on November 28th and 29th each 3 hours and half a day. However, on the early morning of November 26th, a major fire occurred in Hongfu Yuan residential area in Tai Po District, Hong Kong. The fire spread rapidly and was eventually classified as a five-level fire alarm, the most severe level in the Hong Kong fire system. The fire consumed many buildings, causing heavy casualties: including firefighters and citizens died, and hundreds of residents were injured, missing or homeless.
This fire quickly drew widespread attention and many people all over the globe were plunged into deep sorrow. The MAMA organizers and the Hong Kong government held emergency meetings to discuss whether the ceremony should proceed. After consultation among all parties, they announced that 2025 MAMA Awards would continue with a “restrained production” and include a moment of silence for victims of the tragedy. It was a difficult decision. It carried the expectations of fans and artists and the efforts of the staffs behind the scenes. The music festival cannot erase the tragedy, but it can unite emotions and convey warmth.
On the first day, Korean actor Park Bo-gum walked onto the stage in a full black suit with a composed expression. Unlike in previous ceremonies where he introduced the guests in a bright tone, he stood quietly in the center of the stage and announced to the entire audience in Chinese, English and Korean: “Tonight, we will begin with a one-minute silence to pay our respects to the victims of the fire in Hong Kong, the firefighters, and all the affected families.”At that moment, all audience and performers lowered their heads to pay their respects. The entire stadium was completely silent. The screens and lights were turned off, leaving only a faint white light shining on the host. This minute was more powerful than any words.
What was unexpected was the Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-fat, who had initially refused to attend but appeared on the stage in a black suit as the award presenter. Different from seven years ago he came to this stage, he changed his previous humorous image. He interrupted the award presentation process and, in Chinese, Cantonese, and English, choked up and urged to observe a moment of silence for the fire disaster. His appearance caused sobbing sound throughout the venue, because Chow Yun-fat is a cultural icon of Hong Kong and a spiritual pillar for many Hong Kong people.
On 28th of the performance, many of the stage scenes that originally featured strong visual and flame elements were removed. For example, BABYMONSTER was scheduled to perform a song with intense rhythm and a theme of red flames. After the fire, their team worked overnight to propose a change. They switched to a peaceful song and replaced to blue and white light effects. As the winner of the top award, the Korean artist G-Dragon dressed in whole black and had dyed his hair black in advance. When performing the song “Drama”, he avoided the lyrics “burn burn”and removed the Japanese lyrics from the original song. This brief moment of silence was his sincere expression towards the victims and the Chinese fans.
A total of 26 performance guests attended over the course of two days. Some winning teams had members from China and issue a eulogy in Chinese at the awards. Many non-Chinese members also tried to speak Chinese to express their grief. “May the deceased rest in peace, may the injured recover safely. We are with you.” This is not only because Chinese is the language of Hong Kong, but because when the other party can understand your language, the mourning can truly reach the heart. These Chinese eulogies were quickly shared on various platforms and received comments of gratitude from Hong Kong netizens.
Besides these, many artists also took actions outside the stage to show their concern. Korean rapper Jay Park donated money to a Hong Kong charity organization through his agency on the night of the fire. G-Dragon not only modified the stage content, but also donated money to a rescue organization through his foundation. Singaporean singer JJ Lin, Taiwanese actor Greg Hsu and others also express their condolences in public. Some donated money, while others called on their fans to pay attention to the relief channels. The influence of artists often extends beyond the stage. When they choose to speak out and take actions, they can draw more people’s attention to the victims.
The 2025 Hong Kong MAMA Awards ceremony was not just an ordinary music celebration. It was held amid grief, yet it demonstrated touching moments and unity. In this tragedy, music is no longer a celebration, but a comfort; the stage is no longer a showcase of skills, but a connection; the ceremony is no longer just an awarding ceremony, but a global commemoration. Ultimately, the MAMA in 2025 became a stage remembering mourning and courage, and also a moment of embracing each other through music worldwide.
He lian 
VickyWu 
SHI LIQI