Melon Music Awards 2025 Nominations, Performers: Jennie, G-Dragon, IVE

K-pop superstars G-Dragon, Jennie, Rosé, PLAVE and IVE top the 2025 Melon Music Awards nominations with five nods each, putting both the established stars, latest breakout acts and global chart-toppers at the center of this year’s ceremony. The seventeenth iteration of the awards takes place at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on December 20, where most of the top nominees will also take the stage.

Launched in 2004 and operated by Kakao Entertainment, Melon remains Korea’s largest music subscription service with more than 28 million users. The Melon Music Awards (MMA) began as a fan-voted show conducted online from 2005 through 2008, and officially held in-person in Seoul since 2009 with awards now determined by listener data, judges’ evaluations and fan votes.

All music released between October 31, 2024 and November 19, 2025 were eligible for consideration for this year’s Melon Music Awards. Most awards are decided 60 percent by Melon download and streaming counts, 20 percent by judges’ evaluations and 20 percent by votes. The Millions Top 10 Awards use an 80/20 split of streaming/downloads and votes and are only given to 10 albums that surpassed one million streams on Melon within the first 24 hours of release. Meanwhile, the Track Zero Choice award recognizes releases that Melon recognizes as contributing unique genre and styles to Korea’s popular music culture.

Moving deeper into the 2025 MMAs nominees see Lim Young Woong, RIIZE and BOYNEXTDOOR with four nominations apiece; IU, SEVENTEEN, Tomorrow X Together and BABYMONSTER each earned three. Acts including aespa, 10cm, MAKTUB, ZO ZAZZ and HUNTR/X from the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack picked up two nominations.

To date, BTS is the most-awarded artist in Melon Music Awards’ history with 40 trophies to date. IU has the second-most awards with 25, followed by EXO (who have 17 awards), aespa (15), Girls’ Generation (12), Lim Young Woong (11) and IVE (10). Depending on how the night works out, acts like aespa, Lim Young Woong and IVE could rise up the the MMA’s all-time ranks.

Many of the year’s top nominees are also listed among the ceremony’s performers.

From G-Dragon, Jennie and aespa to IVE, PLAVE, RIIZE and BOYNEXTDOOR, the nearly two dozen artists all ensure the night will be as much about bringing the year’s top music to life on stage as well as honoring it with the awards. Plus, several newcomers beyond the aforementioned K-pop royalty are also set for the show including indie singer-songwriter HANRORO as well as with boy bands ALPHA DRIVE ONE and LNGSHOT performing before even making their official debuts.

Fans can vote until Friday, December 19 at 11:59 p.m. KST (9:59 am EST).

Melon Music Awards 2025 Performers

• aespa
• ALLDAY PROJECT
• ALPHA DRIVE ONE
• BOYNEXTDOOR
• EXO
• G-Dragon
• HANRORO
• Hearts2Hearts
• IDID
• ILLIT
• IVE
• Jay Park
• Jennie
• KiiiKiii
• LNGSHOT
• NCT WISH
• PLAVE
• RIIZE
• WOODZ
• Zico
• 10CM

Forbes2025 MAMA Awards: G-Dragon, ROSÉ, Aespa & More Lead Full Winners ListBy Jeff Benjamin

Melon Music Awards 2025 Nominees

Artist of the Year (Top 10 Winners)

• aespa
• BOYNEXTDOOR
• G-Dragon (BIGBANG)
• IVE
• Jennie (BLACKPINK)
• Lim Young Woong
• NCT WISH
• PLAVE
• RIIZE
• Rosé (BLACKPINK)

Album of the Year

• BABYMONSTER – DRIP
• G-Dragon (BIGBANG) – Ubermensch
• IU – Kkot Galpi 3
• IVE – IVE EMPATHY
• Jennie (BLACKPINK) – Ruby
• Lim Young Woong – IM HERO 2
• PLAVE – Caligo Pt.1
• RIIZE – ODYSSEY
• Rosé (BLACKPINK) – rosie
• SEVENTEEN – HAPPY BURSTDAY

Song of the Year

• 10CM – “To Reach You”
• BABYMONSTER – “DRIP”
• BOYNEXTDOOR – “IF I SAY, I LOVE YOU”
• G-Dragon (BIGBANG) – “HOME SWEET HOME” (featuring Taeyang and Daesung)
• HUNTR/X – “Golden” (sung by EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami)
• IVE – “REBEL HEART”
• Jennie (BLACKPINK) – “like JENNIE”
• Maktub – “Starting With You”
• Rosé (BLACKPINK) – “toxic till the end”
• ZO ZAZZ – “Don’t you know”

Millions Top 10

• Baekhyun (EXO) – “Essence of Reverie”
• BOYNEXTDOOR – “No Genre”
• BSS (SEVENTEEN) – “TELEPARTY”
• CxM (SEVENTEEN) – “HYPE VIBES”
• DAY6 – “The DECADE”
• Doyoung (NCT) – “Soar”
• G-Dragon (BIGBANG) – “Übermensch”
• Haechan (NCT) – “TASTE”
• ISEGYE IDOL – “Stargazers”
• IU – “Kkot Galpi 3”
• IVE – “IVE EMPATHY”
• Jennie (BLACKPINK) – “Ruby”
• Jin (BTS) – “Happy”
• Lee Chan Won – “bright;燦”
• Lim Young Woong – “IM HERO 2”
• Mark (NCT) – “The Firstfruit”
• NCT DREAM – “Go Back To The Future”
• NCT WISH – “COLOR”
• NMIXX – “Blue Valentine”
• PLAVE – “Caligo Pt.1”
• RIIZE – “ODYSSEY”
• Rosé (BLACKPINK) – “rosie”
• SEVENTEEN – “HAPPY BURSTDAY”
• Sungjin (DAY6) – “30”
• TXT – “The Star Chapter: SANCTUARY”
• ZEROBASEONE – “BLUE PARADISE”

New Artist of the Year

• ALLDAY PROJECT
• Hearts2Hearts
• JAESSBEE
• KiiiKiii
• ZO ZAZZ

Best Group (Female)

• aespa
• BABYMONSTER
• Hearts2Hearts
• IVE
• LE SSERAFIM

Best Group (Male)

• BOYNEXTDOOR
• PLAVE
• RIIZE
• SEVENTEEN
• TXT

Best Solo Artist (Female)

• IU
• Jennie (BLACKPINK)
• Jisoo (BLACKPINK)
• Rosé (BLACKPINK)
• Taeyeon (Girls’ Generation)

Best Solo Artist (Male)

• 10CM
• G-Dragon (BIGBANG)
• Lim Young Woong
• Maktub
• ZO ZAZZ

Best OST

• Changsub (BTOB) – “True Love” (“Secret Relationships” OST)
• Doh Kyung Soo (D.O.) [EXO] – “FOREVER” (“Resident Playbook” OST)
• HUNTR/X – “Golden” (“KPop Demon Hunters” OST)
• PLAVE – “We don’t stop” (“The Fiery Priest 2” OST)
• TXT – “When the Day Comes” (“Resident Playbook” OST)

Best Pop Artist

• Don Toliver
• Ed Sheeran
• Justin Bieber
• KATSEYE
• Lady Gaga

Track Zero Choice

• Bek Hyunjin – “Mogwa”
• CHS – “ECHO”
• CHUDAHYE CHAGIS – “Jakdu: Standing on Blades”
• Effie – “MORE HYPER”
• HANRORO – “Goodbye, My Summer”
• huijun woo – “spacious house”
• Kim Oki – “Lucky” (featuring Wonstein)
• Sanmanhan – “Heart of a Dog”
• Shin In Ryu – “Attack!”
• Wah Wah Wah & Noridogam – “Uncertainty”