The '2024 MAMA Awards' officially kicked off with chapter 1 in Los Angeles, California, the United States on November 21 PST!

Chapter 1 of the 3-day ceremony was held at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, hosted by Park Bo Gum. 

On this day, TWS and ILLIT took home the 'Male Rookie Award' and the 'Female Rookie Award' respectively, with TWS also claiming the trophy for 'Best Dance Performance (Male Group)'. 

Additionally, RIIZE claimed the prize for 'Favorite Global Male Performer', while singer/producer J.Y. Park was honored with the 'Inspiring Achievement Award'. 

Notably, during their acceptance speech, RIIZE moved fans to tears with their heartfelt words, relaying, "In the year that has passed since our debut, a lot has happened, events that many of you are aware of. But we will devote ourselves to moving forward. We are having many discussions with our company in an open environment, and we are receiving reliable support. We are always thankful to our fans throughout these processes, and our greatest desire is for RIIZE and BRIIZE to always protect each other." 

Furthermore, the members of ILLIT were seen shedding tears during their 'Female Rookie Award' acceptance speech. As the group's representative, Yunah shared, "It is an honor to perform at the 'MAMA Awards', a stage we've dreamt of since our trainee days. Thank you also for this valuable award. Being here, it makes me think of all of the times that we spent practicing for our debut. I want to congratulate my members and give them props for their hard work. I would also like to thank all of the staff at BeLift Lab who helped us and supported us." 

Winners from chapter 1 of the '2024 MAMA Awards' in the US:

▲ Male Rookie Award - TWS

▲ Female Rookie Award - ILLIT

▲ Best Dance Performance (Male Group) - TWS

▲ Favorite Global Male Performer - RIIZE

▲ Inspiring Achievement - J.Y. Park

Meanwhile, the '2024 MAMA Awards' continues from November 22-23 at the Kyocera Dome Osaka in Japan, hosted by Kim Tae Ri!

Finally, here's a recap of the performances from chapter 1 of the '2024 MAMA Awards' in the US, below!

TWS

ILLIT

YOUNG POSSE

RIIZE

J.Y. Park

SEE ALSO: ILLIT is the highest-ranking K-pop group on the '2024 Billboard Year-End Charts'