Singapore hosts 2011 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA)

Super Junior, SNSD and 2NE1 take top honours

By Han Wei Chou, Channel NewsAsia, 30 Nov 2011

Popular K-pop acts Super Junior, SNSD and 2NE1 took home top honours at the 2011 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Tuesday (29 Nov).

2NE1 received the award for Best Vocal Performance Group and the Grand Prize for Song of the Year.

"We are very happy to perform at the MAMA awards and are doubly happy that we have received the award for Song of the Year, thank you for your support," said 2NE1 leader CL.

Super Junior walked away with the Grand Prize for Album of the year, Best Male Group award and the Singapore's Choice award, while their SM Entertainment colleagues SNSD (Girl's Generation) picked up the award for Best Female Group, as well as the Grand Prize for Artist of the Year.

"We have to thank our fans for sharing this with us," said SNSD member Tae Yeon, trophy in hand at a press conference following the 2011 MAMA.

Super Junior echoed her sentiments.

"The fans deserve only the best, so we will always try our best," Super Junior's Si Won declared.

Other notable winners at the 2011 MAMA include Korean girl group A pink, who picked up the award for Best New Female Artist, miss A who won the award for Best Dance Performance – Female Group and boy band BEAST who took home the Best Dance Performance – Male Group award.

Korean singer Kim Hyun Joong was named Best Male Artist while the Best Female Artist award went to Baek Ji Young, who also won the award for Best O.S.T.

Explosive performances galore

Broadcast to about 1.9 billion people in 20 countries worldwide, the 2011 MAMA in Singapore was a star-studded affair jam packed with explosive performances from stars like Snoop Dogg and BEAST, but some performances stood out.

The atmosphere at the Singapore Indoor Stadium was electrifying as Koda Kumi wowed the crowds with a rousing performance of her hits "V.I.P" and "Bling Bling Bling".

2NE1's CL kept the crowds going when she performed without her group mates for the first time at the awards ceremony, belting out the Black Eyed Peas' classic "Where is the Love?" with the band's rappers will.i.am and apl.de.ap.

SNSD upped the ante when they performed their latest song "The Boys" and showed off their flashy dance moves on stage while pyrotechnics went off around them.

But the highlight of the evening was definitely Super Junior's performance of "Sorry Sorry", the song that made them famous, with a small army of backup dancers in black suits and sunglasses.

It was a sight to behold, when Super Junior did their iconic "Sorry Sorry" dance together with what looked like a hundred dancers at their back.