G-Dragon and BLACKPINK’s Jennie were recognized with grand prizes at the 2025 Melon Music Awards (MMA2025), which took place on the 20th at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul.
Jennie was announced as the winner of “Record of the Year,” the first of four grand prizes.
After performing on stage, Jennie expressed gratitude, saying, “I’m so grateful for this big award. This year has been incredibly meaningful for me with the release of my first album, and I’m happy to end the year on a high note. I want to thank all the OA staff and the 50 dancers who worked with me on stage. I’ll continue to create great music.”
Jennie shared that she missed her BLACKPINK members and expressed love to BLINKs, the fandom.
G-Dragon secured three grand prizes: “Album of the Year,” “Artist of the Year,” and “Best Song.” He shared a heartfelt moment with singer Yoon Jong-shin, who presented the awards.
G-Dragon expressed his gratitude, stating, “Every year is special, but this year will be particularly memorable.” He thanked his fans, VIPs, and mentioned how much he misses his BIGBANG members.
G-Dragon joked about frequently going on stage to receive awards, saying it was “not a replay.”
Earlier in the ceremony, he won the “TOP10” award, bagging the first trophy of MMA2025. He went on to win seven awards in total, including “Best Solo Male” and “Millions TOP10.”
Jennie, participating in a domestic awards ceremony for the first time in six years, achieved a triple crown by winning “TOP10” and “Millions TOP10.”
The “Rookie of the Year” award went to All Day Project and Harts2Harts.
Woochan of All Day Project thanked his CEO, Teddy, Vince, and all staff at The Black Label for helping them reach the stage. He also expressed gratitude to their fandom, Day1, stating, “I’m happy to have received such a wonderful award thanks to Day1. Thank you.”
Tarzan of Harts2Harts expressed thanks to his parents, who were in attendance, and to the parents of all five members for their sacrifices and love that allowed them to stand on stage.
Yeon of Harts2Harts thanked their fandom, Hachu, stating, “Thanks to Hachu, who cheers us on, we can shine on stage, and it makes us happy to perform. We promise to reciprocate with even better songs and performances.”
The “Best Group Male” award went to BOYNEXTDOOR, and “Best Group Female” went to IVE.
Unhak of BOYNEXTDOOR thanked their fandom, OUR, saying, “This award was made by OUR. We are grateful for all the love we received this year. We also thank the KOZ staff and Producer Zico, who always support us. We believe this award is to motivate us to work harder, and we will show even better music and performances next year.”
Jang Wonyoung of IVE expressed her gratitude and joy at meeting fans at “MMA.”
G-Dragon, upon receiving “Best Solo Male,” expressed hopes for a group award next year, indirectly mentioning BIGBANG.
G-Dragon, honored as “Best Songwriter,” noted the significance of his recent solo album, “WIBERMENSCH,” as his first project created independently after leaving YG. He extended gratitude to The Black Label, YG, Anderson .Paak, and various other artists who assisted him.
ILLIT, winner of “Best Performance Female,” expressed joy for the award and thanked Belift Lab officials and HYBE staff for their support. They also extended gratitude to their fandom, GLIT, promising to work harder and asking for continued anticipation.
The “Best Performance Male” award went to RIIZE. Sohee emphasized that the group’s efforts and dedication to deliver the best performances were not in vain. He vowed that RIIZE would use this award as motivation to continue striving for excellence on stage.
EXO, while not winning specific awards, garnered significant attention by appearing as a complete group. Member D.O. surprised fans by making a special appearance at close friend Kim Woo-bin’s wedding during the ceremony, then rejoining EXO for their full group performance.
EXO performed a medley of hits, starting with an intro of “Wolf,” followed by “Monster,” “The Eve,” and “Love Shot.” Their “Growl” performance saw all fandoms singing along in a magnificent display. They also exclusively premiered “Back It Up,” a track from their upcoming 8th album, showcasing their continued stage presence.
2025 Melon Music Awards Winners
▲ Best Song: G-Dragon “Home Sweet Home”
▲ Artist of the Year: G-Dragon
▲ Record of the Year: Jennie
▲ Album of the Year: G-Dragon “WIBERMENSCH”
▲ Rookie of the Year: All Day Project, Harts2Harts
▲ TOP10: G-Dragon, IVE, aespa, PLAVE, BOYNEXTDOOR, RIIZE, NCT Wish, Jennie, Rosé, Lim Young-woong
▲ Millions TOP10: IVE, Jennie, G-Dragon, PLAVE, RIIZE, BOYNEXTDOOR, Rosé, Lim Young-woong, IU, SEVENTEEN
▲ Best Solo Female: Rosé
▲ Best Solo Male: G-Dragon
▲ Best Group Female: IVE
▲ Best Group Male: BOYNEXTDOOR
▲ Best OST: Huntrix “Golden” (Netflix “K-Pop Demon Hunters”)
▲ Best Pop Artist: Ed Sheeran
▲ Stage of the Year: aespa
▲ Music Video of the Year: Kiki “I Do Me”
▲ Best Songwriter: G-Dragon
▲ Best Performance Female: ILLIT
▲ Best Performance Male: RIIZE
▲ Best Music Style: 10CM, All Day Project
▲ Global Artist: aespa
▲ Global Rising Artist: Iditt
▲ Global Icon: Kiki
▲ Hot Trend: WOODZ
▲ Best Producer: Zico
▲ Global Fan’s Choice: Harts2Harts
▲ Track Zero Choice: Han Lolo
▲ Japan Favorite Artist: BOYNEXTDOOR
▲ KakaoBank Star of Everyone: NCT Wish
Image source: Xportsnews Kim Han-joon, Melon.
