MUMBAI: The 22nd Korean Music Awards (KMAs) winners were announced on Thursday, February 27, celebrating a diverse range of artists across multiple genres. Known for recognizing talent beyond mainstream K-pop, this year’s ceremony honored Aespa, Danpyunsun and the Moments Ensemble, Lee Seung Yoon, and Sanmanhan with the four Daesang (Major) awards.
Aespa Sets a New Standard for K-pop at the KMAs
Despite Danpyunsun and the Moments Ensemble leading with the most nominations, Aespa emerged as the biggest winner, securing three major awards:
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• Song of the Year – Supernova
• Best K-pop Album – Armageddon
• Best K-pop Song – Supernova
Aespa faced tough competition in Song of the Year, defeating tracks by BIBI, BLACKPINK’s Rosé & Bruno Mars, Danpyunsun and the Moments Ensemble, and SUMIN & Slom.
For Best K-pop Album, Armageddon triumphed over Rosé & Bruno Mars (APT), ILLIT (Magnetic), TWS (Plot Twist), and tripleS (Girls Never Die).
Best K-pop Song saw Supernova beat BIBI (Bam Yang Gang), Sungwoojunga (Star Candy), IU (Love Wins All), Rooftop Moonlight (Diving), and Lee Youngji ft. EXO’s DO (Small Girl).
Other Notable Wins
While Aespa dominated K-pop, other major K-pop names also took home awards:
• BIBI won Best Pop Song (Bam Yang Gang).
• BIGBANG’s G-Dragon secured Best Rap & Hip-hop Song (Power).
The 2025 KMAs once again highlighted Korea’s vibrant and evolving music landscape, celebrating both mainstream and independent artists. Here is the full list of winners:
Major Awards
• Album of the Year: Danpyunsun and the Sailors – Hail to the Music
• Song of the Year: Aespa – Supernova, NewJeans – Ditto
• Musician of the Year: Lee Seung Yoon
• Rookie of the Year: Sanmanhan
Genre Awards
• Best Rock Album: Soumbalgwang – Fire & Light
• Best Rock Song: Lee Seung Yoon – Anthems of Defiance
• Best Modern Rock Album: Danpyunsun and the Sailors – Hail to the Music
• Best Modern Rock Song: Lee Seung Yoon – Waterfall
• Best Metal & Hardcore Album: Seaweed Mustache – 2
• Best Rap & Hip-hop Album: B-FREE, Hukky Shibaseki – Free Hukky Shibaseki & the God Sun Symphony Group: Odyssey.1
• Best Rap & Hip-hop Song: G-Dragon – Power
• Best R&B & Soul Album: Sumin, Slom – Miniseries 2
• Best R&B & Soul Song: Jung In, Mild Beats – Blame
• Best Pop Album: John Park – PSST!
• Best Pop Song: BIBI – Bam Yang Gang
• Best K-pop Album: Aespa – Armageddon
• Best K-pop Song: Aespa – Supernova
• Best Electronic Album: NET GALA – GALAPAGGOT
• Best Electronic Song: Mount XLR – Oving
• Best Folk Album: Moher – Kaleidoscope
• Best Folk Song: Kang A Sol – Anyone But Me
• Best Jazz-Vocal Album: Nam Yeji – Old Songs, Tmmm
• Best Jazz-Instrumental Album: Jihye Lee Orchestra – Infinite Connections
This year’s KMAs proved once again that Korean music extends far beyond K-pop, spotlighting remarkable talent across all genres.
