K-pop group RIIZE indirectly addressed the controversy surrounding former member Seunghan during their acceptance speech at the 2024 MAMA Awards. Held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on November 22 (KST), the group received the “Favorite Global Male Performer” award.
On this day, the Favorite Global Performance Mail category was given to Lance Bass from the group NSYNC.
During the speech, Anton expressed gratitude to fans, saying, “Thank you to the fans who always support us. A lot has happened over the past year, and I think you all know that.” He reassured fans, adding, “The members and I promise to work harder to show our best. What we hope for is for RIIZE to always be with our fans.”
Acknowledging the fan division caused by Seunghan’s return and subsequent departure, Anton shared, “We are currently having open conversations with our agency and receiving a lot of support. We are always grateful to the fans, the members, and the agency.”
Shotaro also reflected on the challenges of the year, saying, “There have been many things this year, but I want to thank BR!IZE for believing in us. We will continue to work hard with these members to become a RIIZE we can all be proud of.”
Seunghan, who debuted with RIIZE in September 2023, faced controversy when private photos from before his debut surfaced online. He halted his activities two months after the group’s debut. Last month, SM Entertainment announced his return to RIIZE after a year-long hiatus, but backlash from fans led to his departure just two days later. Seunghan is now preparing for a solo debut slated for next year.
RIIZE’s speech highlighted their commitment to moving forward while addressing the lingering impact of recent events.
“im sure many of us are aware of whats happened."
— ja ★ (@bbinmeoowz) November 22, 2024
"there has been, you know, many events."
anton’s speech got us all sobbing fr hes so brave :( their situation is so fucked up and they deserve so much better.. we promise to be here always our riize 🧡 pic.twitter.com/LUfnOmi5t5