: For the first time in the ceremony's history, a female artist took the lead as the host. K-pop veteran Lee Hyori broke the glass ceiling, bringing a legendary presence to the stage and performing a grand finale with the crews of Street Woman Fighter .

: MAMA 2021 introduced a major change in how winners were selected. To better reflect professional artistry and global impact, the major Daesang categories—Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year—removed fan voting from their criteria, relying instead on data and a panel of expert judges.

: British superstar Ed Sheeran performed a special mash-up of "Bad Habits" and "Shivers," emphasizing the awards' global reach.

: After three years, the group reunited for a special performance, a major highlight for long-term fans.

The , themed " MAKE SOME NOISE ," was a landmark event in K-pop history, held on December 11, 2021, at CJ ENM Contents World in Paju, South Korea. This edition was characterized by significant structural changes, a historic first in hosting, and a dominant sweep by BTS despite their physical absence. Key Dynamics of MAMA 2021