G-Dragon Wins ‘Artist of the Year,’ ‘Album of the Year,’ and ‘Best Song of the Year’ Daesangs; Jennie Takes ‘Record of the Year’; AllDay Project and Hearts2Hearts Win Rookie Awards; EXO’s Consecutive Hit Performances Electrify the Crowd
사진 확대 G-Dragon. Photo | MMA 2025
The night began and ended with G-Dragon. He claimed three out of four grand prizes, solidifying his reign as this year’s K-pop king.
On the 20th, the 2025 Melon Music Awards (MMA) took place at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul. The event lasted an impressive five hours, with a total of 39 awards presented.
G-Dragon also kicked off the awards, being the first to be called for the ‘Top 10’ category and stepping onto the stage. Perhaps anticipating more wins to come, he briefly expressed his gratitude to fans and said, “I hope to share this honor with the fellow artists who will be named next.”
사진 확대 G-Dragon. Photo | MMA 2025
That was just the beginning. He swept every solo artist award available, including ‘Best Solo Artist,’ ‘Best Songwriter,’ and ‘Millions Top 10.’ The final grand prizes—‘Artist of the Year,’ ‘Album of the Year,’ and ‘Best Song of the Year’—also went to him, making him a seven-time winner in total.
Accepting ‘Album of the Year’ for his third full-length album ‘Übermensch,’ G-Dragon remarked, “This year was personally very meaningful. There were many first attempts, so it took a long time to make the album. I wanted the album to sound profound, so I named it ‘Übermensch,’ meaning ‘the one who transcends.’ In truth, it was a mantra for myself. I made the album with the mindset of wanting to become that kind of person.” He added, “I am grateful for all the things in the world that will continue to inspire me.”
Regarding ‘Home Sweet Home,’ which won ‘Best Song of the Year,’ he said, “It’s a warm song because my members joined me.” Thanks to this track, G-Dragon achieved the remarkable feat of topping music charts in the 2000s, 2010s, and now the 2020s.
G-Dragon also declared, “I will become an artist suited for this very moment. I will continue to work hard at what I do. Everyone’s life story is different, and there’s no single answer. I will live as the protagonist of my own life.”
He emphasized, “The path to receiving awards is long and arduous, but it’s meaningful, so it’s not difficult at all. I’m truly happy.” After a long hiatus and indirectly referencing the drug scandal that surrounded him in 2023, his words resonated deeply. He also expressed gratitude to his current agency, Galaxy Corporation, with whom he signed a new contract after the controversy. This was the first time he publicly thanked CEO Yongho Choi at an official event.
사진 확대 Jennie. Photo | MMA 2025
Jennie, who won the remaining grand prize, ‘Record of the Year,’ said, “This year has been full of meaningful events for me. I’m glad to end the year on a high note.” She added, “I’ll continue to make great music. I miss my members, and being alone feels lonely. I love my fans.” Jennie also proved her status as a top solo artist by winning ‘Top 10’ and ‘Millions Top 10.’
The coveted Rookie of the Year award went to the groups AllDay Project and Hearts2Hearts.
사진 확대 AllDay Project. Photo | MMA 2025 
사진 확대 Hearts2Hearts. Photo | MMA 2025
Other notable acts included BoyNextDoor and aespa. BoyNextDoor took home four awards: ‘Top 10,’ ‘Millions Top 10,’ ‘Best Group,’ and ‘Japan Favorite Artist.’ aespa also demonstrated their global presence by winning ‘Top 10,’ ‘Stage of the Year,’ and ‘Global Artist.’
The most eye-catching stage of the night was undoubtedly by EXO. As the original large-member group, they performed as a five-member unit (excluding Exo-CBX: Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin). Though they did not win any awards, they heated up the venue with a string of hit performances, including ‘Back It Up’ from their upcoming 8th full-length album (to be released in January), ‘Monster,’ ‘The Eve,’ ‘Growl,’ and ‘Love Shot.’
사진 확대 EXO. Photo | MMA 2025
Singer-songwriter Han Roro, the only non-idol act, also made a mark by winning the special ‘Track Zero Artist’ award. In addition, 10cm and TV personality Joo Woo-jae delivered a surprise collaboration performance, adding fun to the event.
2025 Melon Music Awards Winners List
▲ Artist of the Year: G-Dragon
▲ KakaoBank Album of the Year: G-Dragon ‘Übermensch’
▲ Best Song of the Year: G-Dragon ‘Home Sweet Home’
▲ Record of the Year: Jennie
▲ Rookie of the Year: Hearts2Hearts / AllDay Project
▲ Top 10
Rosé, Lim Young-woong, Jennie, aespa, BoyNextDoor, G-Dragon, Ive, NCT Wish, Plave, Riize
▲ Millions Top 10
Rosé – rosie
Seventeen – Happy Burstday
IU – Kkotgalpi Set
Lim Young-woong – I’m Hero 2
Jennie – Ruby
BoyNextDoor – No Genre
G-Dragon – Übermensch
Ive – Ive Empathy
Plave – Caligo Part 1
Riize – Odyssey
▲ Best Solo Artist – G-Dragon
▲ Best Songwriter: G-Dragon
▲ Best Producer: Zico
▲ Best Group (Male): BoyNextDoor
▲ Best Group (Female): Ive
▲ Best Performance (Female): Illit
▲ Best Performance (Male): Riize
▲ Best Music Style: AllDay Project
▲ Best Music Style: 10cm
▲ Verys Global Fans’ Choice – Hearts2Hearts
▲ Global Artist: aespa
▲ Music Video of the Year: Kiki
▲ Hot Trend: WOODZ
▲ Stage of the Year: aespa
▲ Track Zero Artist: Han Roro
▲ 1theK Global Icon: Kiki
▲ Japan Favorite Artist by U Next: BoyNextDoor
▲ Global Rising Artist: Idid
▲ KakaoBank Everyone’s Star Award: NCT Wish
사진 확대 Star Today K-Star Global Newsletter
Ji Seung-hoon
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.