A legend proved why he remains unmatched. G-DRAGON emerged as the undisputed star of the 2025 Melon Music Awards (MMA 2025), taking home an impressive seven trophies and cementing his status at the pinnacle of K-pop.
The MMA 2025 ceremony was held on December 20 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, featuring awards across 29 categories and drawing an audience of approximately 18,000 fans. Among the night’s many highlights, G-DRAGON’s overwhelming sweep stood out as the defining moment.
G-DRAGON’s Seven-Trophy Sweep
G-DRAGON claimed the ceremony’s most prestigious honors, including Artist of the Year, KakaoBank Album of the Year, and Best Song of the Year. He also won Top 10, Millions Top 10, Best Male Solo, and Best Songwriter, bringing his total to seven awards. His third full- ength album ‘Übermensch’, released in February, played a major role in his success. The album surpassed one million streams within just four hours of release, setting a new record for the fastest milestone achieved by a solo artist. It later earned a place in Melon’s Millions Album Hall of Fame.
The album’s standout track ‘HOME SWEET HOME’ (feat. Taeyang and Daesung) was named Best Song of the Year, having recorded the highest number of unique listeners on Melon in the first half of 2025. Accepting the Album of the Year award, G-DRAGON reflected, “This year will remain deeply meaningful to me. While the album title ‘Übermensch’ might sound grand, it was actually a personal mantra rather than a declaration of transcendence.” He added heartfelt thanks to his fans, VIPs, and the world that continues to inspire his music.
Rookies of the Year: ALLDAY PROJECT and Hearts2Hearts
The coveted Rookie of the Year award an honor given only once in an artist’s lifetime was jointly awarded to ALLDAY PROJECT and Hearts2Hearts.
Hearts2Hearts enjoyed a breakout year with hits such as ‘The Chase,’ ‘Style,’ and ‘Focus.’ Meanwhile, ALLDAY PROJECT made headlines with their debut track ‘FAMOUS,’ which reached No. 1 on Melon’s Top 100 chart just three days after release, the fastest ascent since the chart’s 2021 overhaul.
Other Major Winners
JENNIE took home Record of the Year for her first solo full-length album ‘Ruby,’ whose title track ‘Like Jennie’ has remained on Melon’s Top 100 for ten consecutive months.
ROSÉ won Best Female Solo, IVE was named Best Female Group, and BOYNEXTDOOR earned Best Male Group.
A Night of Iconic Performances
The ceremony also delivered memorable stages from top artists. RIIZE showcased their growth narrative through three dynamic concepts, while IVE performed a powerful medley of their biggest hits. EXO electrified the venue with classic tracks and a preview of an upcoming album song.
aespa impressed with exclusive MMA arrangements, but it was G-DRAGON’s performance that defined the night an artistic fusion of music, fashion, and storytelling, culminating in a show-stopping finale with ‘Crooked.’