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Last Updated:November 23, 2024, 11:02 IST

Fans shared screenshots of voting pages for K-pop groups ITZY and ENHYPEN, calling out the show organisers for manipulating the voting results.

ITZY and ENHYPEN were both nominated for Fans' Choice categories. (Photo Credit: Instagram)

ITZY and ENHYPEN were both nominated for Fans’ Choice categories. (Photo Credit: Instagram)

The much-awaited 2024 MAMA Awards have started stirring up a fresh controversy, with many calling out alleged rigging and unfair practices that have upset fandoms. An outrage erupted online after fans flooded social media platforms, expressing their frustration over two popular K-pop groups, ITZY and ENHYPEN, being ‘robbed’ of their wins on Day 2. Following its opening day in the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, the 2024 MAMA Awards moved to Osaka, Japan for the second and third-day ceremonies.

With ITZY and ENHYPEN nominated in the Fans Choice categories, previously known as Worldwide Fans’ Choice, many believed they would emerge as the winners. The results for the Fans Choice category were to be announced based on fan votes with 90 per cent coming from the Mnet Plus App, 10 per cent from SNS voting, and factored by 10 per cent from live voting. With the categories divided into male and female groups, fans were closely monitoring the same.

To their surprise, many were shocked that ITZY did not win the Fans’ Choice award in the female category, as they believed in the group’s placement in the top 10. Consequently, many felt that ITZY was robbed of their victory and were dropped at the very last moment. In a strong reaction, fans shared screenshots of the voting pages and called out the MAMA Awards for the “scam” and “rigging” of the voting process. “This award ceremony is completely rigged, they don’t even bother to hide their manipulation and falsifications,” one of them wrote.

Another slammed the event and added, “90% of the votes will be counted on the mnet plus app” said the one who rigged Itzy when they were at the 10th spot at the last minute of the voting and don’t get me started with the twt voting we all know you’re a snake.”

Similarly, fans also believed that the second group to become a victim of the rigging where ENHYPEN, who they believed would secure the Worldwide Icon of the Year award as the group received the highest vote. Screenshots showing ENHYPEN leading in all categories were also shared online, much to fans’ dismay. A fan claimed, “MAMA refused to show enhypen the entirety of the show, they sat them in the back and showed them through other artists, they disrespected them the entirety of the show.”

News movies MAMA Awards 2024 A ‘Scam’? Fans Call Out Show Organisers For Rigging Votes