Group BABYMONSTER members Ahyeon, Parita and Rora transformed perfectly into Huntrix, showcasing overwhelming vocal power and presence.
On the 29th, the 2025 MAMA AWARDS was held at Hong Kong Kai Tak Stadium.
On the 26th (local time) in the Tai Po area of northern Hong Kong, a large-scale fire broke out at the high-rise APT. complex 'Wang Fuk Court (Wang Fuk Court)'. The staging of the 2025 MAMA in Hong Kong also became uncertain, but organizer CJ ENM said the awards ceremony would proceed as planned. The red carpet event was canceled, but the main ceremony was broadcast live as scheduled.
Following the previous day, the ceremony proceeded calmly amid a mood of mourning. Instead of fireworks and pyrotechnics, the stage was filled with restrained production such as laser lighting to express condolences for the disaster.
The stage that drew the most attention that day was the official collaboration stage with Netflix's 'K-pop Demon Hunters.' Earlier, the MAMA Awards said it would recreate the showdown between 'Huntrix' and 'Lion Boys' through performances that crossed animation and reality, but the Lion Boys stage was canceled due to the fire disaster. Instead, the Huntrix stage was presented alone.
When actor Ahn Hyo-seop, who voiced Jin-woo in 'K-pop Demon Hunters,' opened with an emotional narration, the audience was instantly immersed. Then BABYMONSTER's Ahyeon, Rora and Parita appeared transformed respectively into Lumi, Joy and Mira. They perfectly realized the characters' hair, costumes and moods, elevating the stage itself into the animation's world.
The three began the set with 'What It Sounds Like' and continued with 'Golden,' drawing applause and cheers from the audience with soaring high notes, steady breath control and refined harmony. In particular, their unwavering live performance completed a vivid stage as if summoning the animation's OST into reality.
That day, 'K-pop Demon Hunters' also enjoyed the joy of winning music visionary of the year and best OST for the OST 'Golden.' Directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, who took the stage, said, "Thank you for giving us such a big award. I will accept this award on behalf of the people who helped make this film possible."
They continued, "We were really surprised. This film truly opened the hearts of many people around the world, and it feels like we made this film for K-pop and for you on this stage. It is a great joy to be here with you today. I hope you think of it as a love letter to K-pop," and added, "It's a film about the power of music that connects us, heals us and brings light to our world. Being here with you today, I feel the strong power of the crowd." The two directors shared their joy by taking selfie photos with the audience.
Thus, the Huntrix stage that day overwhelmed the stage with performance alone without flashy special effects, proving the 'power of music' amid the somber atmosphere following the fire disaster. The intense live performances and character immersion by BABYMONSTER members also remained one of the highlights of the 2025 MAMA.
[Photo] CJ ENM
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