Hong Kong film star Chow Yun-fat appears at the 2025 MAMA Awards Photo: screenshot from Youtube.com

The 2025 MAMA Awards took place in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the first time in seven years, with Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-fat's appearance and on-stage tribute to victims of the city's deadly residential fire drawing wide attention from local media and netizens. However, the ceremony also caused controversy after an online survey listed Hong Kong and Taiwan as separate "nationality" options, prompting organizer to issue an apology on Weibo and Instagram after strong backlash from netizens.

The MAMA Awards is organized by South Korea's entertainment company CJ ENM and honor outstanding achievements in the K-pop industry. From 2012 to 2017, the ceremony was held in Hong Kong before returning again this year. The Hong Kong Tourism Board described the show as the world's leading K-pop award show.

However, questions emerged over whether the awards would proceed on schedule after a deadly five-alarm fire broke out on Wednesday at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, killing at least 128 people as of 3 pm Saturday. The ceremony was set to take place just two days after the blaze, raising concerns about its appropriateness.

After adjustments including the cancellation of the red-carpet event and the reduction of certain performances, the organizer also issued a statement expressing deep sorrow over the fire, the Hong Kong Economic Times reported. "We are deeply pained by this tragedy and extend our heartfelt condolences to all residents affected by the fire and the families who lost their loved ones. We will carefully adjust the production to deliver a thoughtfully prepared show that offers both comfort and strength to the public. To pay tribute, we will hold a moment of silence during the event and make donations to support the affected families. The 2025 MAMA Awards will be themed 'Support Hong Kong' to bring positive energy to the city," the statement read.

Following these adjustments, the MAMA Awards opened in Hong Kong on Friday with a moment of silence for the victims. Main host Park Bo-gum appeared in a black suit and led the tribute before the show began, Yonhap reported.

Main host Park Bo-gum appeared in a black suit and led the tribute before the 2025 MAMA Awards at the Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong on November 28, 2025. Photo: VCG

The appearance of Hong Kong film star Chow Yun-fat also boosted the ceremony's visibility. Earlier reports by Korean and Hong Kong media suggested Chow and Michelle Yeoh might withdraw from attending due to the fire.

According to Lianhe Zaobao, Chow appeared in a black suit and greeted the audience in Cantonese, Mandarin and English. He first said in Cantonese, "Before presenting the award, I have a small request: I hope everyone can stand up," before switching to Mandarin: "Dear friends, please rise slowly and send your heartfelt blessings to the residents of Tai Po." The entire audience then stood in silent tribute.

Chow's participation draw discussion online. On Weibo, some praised him for guiding the tribute and for presenting an award to G-Dragon, who had donated to support Hong Kong. Others questioned why he attended the event after media reports suggested he would skip the event after the deadly fire.

Meanwhile, the award ceremony faced backlash after an audience survey listed Hong Kong and Taiwan as "nationality" options, causing criticism from Chinese netizens. Under related posts on Weibo, comments included: "I was just about to praise them for the donation, and then they pulled this stunt again," and "Why do these people always list Hong Kong and Taiwan separately? For what purpose??"

The organizer quickly apologized. On Weibo, MnetMAMA stated on Saturday that the error occurred because the survey had not gone through the event's pre-approval process, adding that the responsible agency had apologized and immediately withdrawn the questionnaire. "MAMA AWARDS expresses deep regret over this matter and extends a serious apology," the statement read.

A screenshot of MnetMAMA's official Weibo account, apologizing for mis-labelling Hong Kong and Taiwan as "nationalities" on November 29, 2025

On Instagram, the Korea Tourism Organization's Hong Kong office also issued an apology, saying: "We have identified that incorrect regional labels used in our recent online survey caused concerns among users. We sincerely apologize for this and have taken immediate action to remove the survey, with full respect for the One China principle. We will continue to reinforce our labeling standards and internal review procedures to prevent this from happening again in the future."

A screenshot of Korea Tourism Organization's Hong Kong office's official Instagram account, apologizing for the "incorrect regional labels used in our recent online survey on November 29, 2025

A Hong Kong-based commentator said that businesses operating in China must pay close attention to complying with local laws and regulations. Especially in times of tragedy, organizers should be mindful of every detail of their events and avoid adding to the community's pain.

Despite the efforts to avoid causing additional pain to the fire tragedy, the mistake of listing Hong Kong and Taiwan as nationality is unacceptable, said observer, as it is a red line issue for China. 

Respecting the one-China principle is an essential prerequisite for businesses operating in China, Chu Kar-kin, a veteran current affairs commentator, told the Global Times on Sunday. "Entertainment and cultural events should not be politicized, and organizers must comply with local laws and regulations," he said.

This type of labeling error is a matter of principle, and any organization operating in China must follow the law. Whether it was lack of prior review or an unintentional mistake, neither is a valid excuse for such an error," He Weiwen, a senior fellow at the Center for China and Globalization, told the Global Times on Sunday.

He also noted the organizers' immediate apology, as well as the efforts made during the ceremony: the host's solemn tribute to the victims of the Tai Po fire and the performers' deliberate adjustments to their sets.

"For example, K-pop group Meovv changed their planned song from 'Burninng Up' to 'Turning Up', and (G)I-DLE avoided singing certain lines from "Good Thing". These choices showed respect for the emotions of Hong Kong residents," he said. 

"But again, this kinds of factual errors of this nature must not occur, there's no excuse for 'no review' and apologies are a must and appropriate."