Winners of Melon Music Awards 2025 are starting to take shape live from Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome, as the 17th edition of the prestigious music ceremony officially gets underway. The red carpet has now been wrapped up, and with the first set of awards already revealed, fans from around the world tune in to see what artists will define one of the most competitive years in K-pop history.
The evening commences with much glamour as model Jung Hyuk and dancer Kany host the red carpet for the Melon Music Awards 2025. The duo ushered in each attending artist with confidence, immediately setting the tone of the night with seamless ease in their chemistry and polished poise. From highly anticipated comebacks like EXO to solo royalty Jennie, alongside a powerful showing from fourth- and fifth-generation groups, the red carpet is dominated by elegant black-and-white styling that feels both classic and commanding.
As the event transitions inside, the 17th Melon Music Awards starts with a special stage by Alpha Drive One, a boy group formed from the audition program Boys II Planet. Though they have yet to make their official debut, their opening performance signals Melon’s further emphasis on the future of K-pop.
Soon enough, actor Ahn Jae-hyun takes the stage to present tonight’s first major trophies, giving a symbolic start to the MMA 2025 Top 10 Artist of the Year awards that were pre-announced earlier in the month. Cheers spread across the arena as confirmations of G-Dragon and IVE make for an early highlight of the night by balancing legendary influence with current chart dominance.
Winners of Melon Music Awards 2025 (LIVE)
The Melon Music Awards 2025 Winners are listed in the order of announcement.
Top 10 Artists in MMA 2025
aespa
BOYNEXTDOOR
G-Dragon (BIGBANG)
IVE
Jennie (BLACKPINK)
Lim Young-woong
NCT WISH
PLAVE
RIIZE
Rosé (BLACKPINK)
Best New Artist of the Year
ALDAY PROJECT
Hearts2Hearts
Best Male Solo Artist
G-Dragon
Berriz Global Fan’s Choice Award
Hearts2Hearts
Best Producer
Zico
Best Male Group
BOYNEXTDOOR
Best Female Group
IVE
MMA 2025 Millions Top 10
IVE
Jennie (BLACKPINK)
G-Dragon
PLAVE
Riize
BOYNEXTDOOR
IU
Lim Young-woong
Rosé
SEVENTEEN
Best Music Video
KiiiKiii for I Do Me
Track Zero Choice
Hanroro for Goodbye, My Summer
Hot Trend
WOODZ
Best Music Style
10CM
AllDay Project
Stage Of The Year
aespa
Best Songwriter
G-Dragon
1theK Global Icon
KiiiKiii
Best Performance (Female)
ILLIT
Best Performance (Male)
Riize
Japan Favorite Artist by U-Next
BOYNEXTDOOR
Global Rising Artist
IDID
KakaoBank Everyone’s Star
NCT WISH
Global Artist
aespa
Best Pop Artist
Ed Sheeran
J-Pop Favorite Artist
Kenshi Yonezu
Best OST
Golden by Huntrix (KPop Demon Hunters)
Best Female Solo
Rosé
2025 Melon Music Awards Grand Prize Winners Are (Daesang)
MMA 2025 Record of the Year
Jennie for Ruby
MMA 2025 Album of the Year
G-Dragon for Übermensch
MMA 2025 Artist of the Year
G-Dragon
MMA 2025 Song of the Year
HOME SWEET HOME by G-Dragon ft. Taeyang and Daesung
17th Melon Music Awards 2025 Performances Highlight
MMA 2025 starts on a high note with Alpha Drive One opening the night with its first performance. Still in the pre-debut phase, the group commanded attention immediately with a confident opening stage that blended sharp choreography with youthful energy, serving as a sneak peek of what fans can expect ahead of their official debut.
The mood changes as KiiiKiii steps forward with a warm, emotionally driven performance that emphasises sincerity over spectacle. Their stage is more about storytelling, allowing the vocals and the sentiment of emotion to take centre stage and draw in an audience to a more intimate atmosphere.
Indie artist Hanroro follows with a gentle yet immersive performance underlined by melodic simplicity and emotional nuance. This transition sets the stage for WOODZ, who is delivering a dramatic contrast to start off: transitioning from the restrained vocal-focused arrangement to gradually escalating into a more intense, performance-heavy segment showcasing both his vocal power and commanding stage presence.
Later, WOODZ returns with a bold genre switch, introducing a rock-influenced dance track that brings a surge of energy back into the arena. The stage design, choreography, and pacing strongly support his versatility as a performer who can easily shift between different moods.
10CM closes out this segment with a stripped-down performance that centers entirely on vocals and live instrumentation. The acoustic stage really resonates with the crowd, providing a calm yet memorable moment amidst the high-energy performances.
The second part of the event reaches its climax with the hallmark of the 17th Melon Music Awards, a lineup of huge stages. Among the performers, EXO gives a show that is the most nostalgic and powerful of the night, performing a medley that includes the best parts of their past, new, and future songs. The group revisits the eras that the fans loved most, and meanwhile, “Back It Up,” a new song that was first played live on the MMA stage, is revealed, which eventually draws huge reactions from both old and young fans alike.
Eventually, the solo performance of Jennie comes next with a drastic change of atmosphere. Wearing incredibly elegant white, Jennie starts with a very soft and intimate performance that is heavy on the use of vocal filters and faint movements, thus making a very fairy-like opening. The audience that is up to the very soft vibe is soon taken out as the lights get stronger and the dancing gets bigger, with the audience turning into a commanding, one and only, high-impact sequence.
The ceremony then shifts back, and G-Dragon assumes control with a multifaceted performance that simultaneously displays the conceptual identity of his latest era. The performance opens with a poetic, movement-oriented introduction before the stage changes and visual motifs connected to his recent album are projected. Donning a crown, he then delivers a mighty opening track before moving on to a remix-driven segment of dance that highlights his sharp, high-energy choreography. Just when it seems that the performance has almost come to an end, the unmistakable intro of one of his most popular songs bursts forth, causing the audience to go into an instant frenzy.
The performances come together seamlessly, culminating in the defining moment of the ceremony: the announcement of G-Dragon as the winner of Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year, thus achieving a rare triple Daesang sweep. The historic accomplishment not only secures his reign over the night but also underlines his position as one of the most important characters in Korean music. The last grand prize, Record of the Year, goes to BLACKPINK Jennie, who was meant to leave the audience and the ceremony with a powerful message honouring her influence as a solo artist.
As the night goes on, we will continue with updates on the winner list for 2025 Melon Music Awards.
Also Read: 2025 Melon Music Awards Lineup, Where to Watch, Nominations and All We Know So Far
