MAMA Awards Proceed as Scheduled in Hong Kong Despite Deadly Fire
HONG KONG – The ‘MAMA Awards’ (formerly known as the ‘Mnet KM Music Festival’) will proceed as planned at the Kai Tak Stadium in Kowloon Kai tak Sports Park on November 28th and 29th, despite a devastating fire in Hong Kong that has claimed at least 44 lives and left 45 critically injured. This marks the 17th consecutive year the awards ceremony has been held, a record unbroken even by the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The fire,which erupted at the 32-story ‘Wong Fook Court’ apartment complex in Tai Po District on November 27th at 2:52 pm,prompted widespread concern about the event’s cancellation.As of 6 a.m. local time on November 28th,authorities reported 279 people remained missing,along with the 44 confirmed fatalities,including one firefighter.
CJ ENM, the event’s host, confirmed the show will go on, stating they are “carefully preparing the overall stage structure and progress to ensure that it is a performance that conveys comfort and hope rather than a flashy production.”
While the awards ceremony will be broadcast live as scheduled, organizers have canceled the red carpet event. Celebrities Chow Yun-fat and Yang Yeo-kyung have also decided not to attend.
The ‘MAMA awards’ have been held annually as 2009, adapting to global challenges in the past. In 2020, the ceremony was held without a live audience due to COVID-19 concerns. In 2021, pre-recording schedules were temporarily postponed due to a staff member’s positive COVID-19 diagnosis, but the show continued with a limited audience under “With Corona” policies.
