The Korea Grand Music Awards is the biggest annual event eagerly anticipated by K-pop enthusiasts every year. First held in November 2024, the festival honors the outstanding achievements of Korean artists across various musical categories. Last year, K-pop sensations like Aespa, ATEEZ, ZEROBASEONE, (G)I-DLE, and NewJeans set records by winning multiple awards. This year, the Korean newspaper Ilgan Sports organized the second edition of the Korea Grand Music Festival. It took place on November 14 and 15 at the Incheon Inspire Arena. For global fans, TikTok also live-streamed the event worldwide.
About the Korea Grand Music Festival – Feature Performances
This year, Nam Ji-hyun, the actress from “Suspicious Partner,” hosted the award ceremony. She was joined by Red Velvet’s Irene and Natty from “Kiss of Life.”
The two-day music festival showcased an impressive lineup of performers, including groups like ATEEZ, the recently debuted BOYNEXTDOOR, Fifty Fifty, trot singer Park Seo-jin, ALLDAY PROJECT, Stray Kids, IVE, Kiss of Life, Suho from EXO, and many more.
The list of presenters for the two-day event included several popular figures from the South Korean entertainment industry, such as Ahn Hyo-seop, Moon Chae-won, Bae Hyun-sung, Chae Seo-an, Ha Young, Byeon Woo-seok, Sooyoung, and others.
In addition to the line-up of performers and hosts, organizers also announced the nominations for 2025. Categories included the Grand Artist (Daesang), Grand Performer (Daesang), Best OST, Best Music Video, Best Solo Artist (Male and Female), and Best Global K-pop Star. Nominees for each category were revealed, sparking widespread anticipation among fans, who are now eager to learn the winners.
About the Winners Who Captured Hearts
This year’s Korea Grand Music Festival saw Stray Kids, the fan-favorite boy band, winning the most awards, followed by popular girl group IVE, singer Lee Chan-won, boy band TheBoyz, singer and actor Suho, Aespa, 2025 debutant AHO, and AllDay Project.
The eight-member K-pop group ATEEZ won the 2025 Grand Artist (Daesang), while BOYNEXTDOOR received the Grand Performer (Daesang). Internationally acclaimed boy band BTS members Jin and J-Hope also made a splash with awards for Best Music Video and Best Hip Hop.
IVE, known for their hits “Eleven” and “Love Dive,” took home the title of Best Global K-pop Star. Organizers named EXO’s Suho the Best Male Solo Artist, and they honored WJSN’s Dayoung as the Best Female Solo Artist.
About the Korea Grand Music Festival
The Korea Grand Music Awards is one of the biggest annual awards ceremonies, celebrating the achievements of Korean artists who have played a significant role in globalizing Korean culture and paving the way for future Korean music and artists. It was originally established by Ilgan Sports, a South Korean sports and entertainment newspaper.
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