Min Heejin's "Lapdog" Joins the MAMA Judging Panel, Raising Concerns Among Fans About Fairness for BTS
The 2026 MAMA Awards are shaping up to be one of the most anticipated K-pop events of the year. For the first time, the ceremony will be held over two consecutive days at Kyocera Dome Osaka in Japan. This year's edition will also introduced a 360-degree stage and feature the largest lineup of performing artists ever assembled in a single host city. At this year's awards, BTS are returning as a group and are among the most-nominated acts, including in some of the ceremony's biggest categories. With several awards determined partly by fan votes, ARMY have been actively encouraging one another to participate and rallying support across social media platforms. However, a recent development has unexpectedly sparked concern among many fans, somewhat dampening their spirits as the voting period enters its final stretch. On November 3, 2026, social media was abuzz with reports that Lee Sun-myung, a journalist from this year's MAMA judging panel. The reports were accompanied b...