ATEEZ and BOYNEXTDOOR claimed the highest honors at the 2nd Korea Grand Music Awards.
The 2025 Korea Grand Music Awards with iM Bank (2025 KGMA) took place on November 14 at Inspire Arena in Unseo-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon. The first day of the ceremony, designated as Artist Day, was hosted by Red Velvet’s Irene and actor Nam Ji Hyun.
ATEEZ won the 2025 Grand Artist Award, the highest honor of the night. Since their 2018 debut, the group has gained global recognition for their distinctive sound and powerful performances. Their early international tours laid a strong foundation abroad, and in 2021, their appearance on Mnet’s 'Kingdom: Legendary War' propelled them to new heights. That same year, they made their first entry on the Billboard 200 with their seventh EP. In 2023, they topped the chart with their second full-length album, and last year, they hit No. 1 again with 'Golden Hour: Part 2,' marking a new career peak.
Taking the stage, ATEEZ said, “This is such an incredible honor. We are grateful to so many people who helped us reach this point. We sincerely thank everyone at KQ Entertainment, our staff behind the scenes, our choreography team, and all the talented producers who create amazing music for us.”
They continued, “To ATINY, who inspire us to dream of forever even as the years pass—we love you deeply and thank you. We will continue to cherish every moment with gratitude. It’s hard to believe we’re already seven years in, and we’re happy to keep building unforgettable memories with you. We promise to make you happy. Our anniversary is coming up, and we hope this becomes a wonderful gift. We will keep loving you.”
The 2025 Grand Performer Award went to BOYNEXTDOOR. Since debuting in 2023, the group has built a strong fandom through music centered on themes of “love” and “youth.” Starting with the mega-hit digital single 'If I Say, I Love You' in January, and continuing their momentum with the fourth EP 'No Genre' in May, BOYNEXTDOOR reached yet another career milestone with their fifth EP 'The Action' released last month. 'The Action' debuted at No. 40 on the Billboard 200 (November 8), marking their fifth consecutive entry. The album also sold 1,041,802 copies in its first week on Hanteo, making it their third straight million-seller following '19.99' and 'No Genre.'
Accepting the award, the group said, “A performance is only complete with an audience. Because you’re here, we can take the stage—and because WONDOOR exists, so does BOYNEXTDOOR. We thank everyone at HYBE and KOZ Entertainment, and we also thank Producer Zico.”
They added, “We dedicate all of this to our fans, WONDOOR. We sincerely bow our heads in gratitude. Honestly, we really hoped to win an award this year so we could proudly say thank you. Thank you for brightening our twenties. We’ll use your support as fuel to keep growing without settling.”
The 2025 Grand Honors Choice awards went to THE BOYZ and ALLDAY PROJECT.
THE BOYZ stayed active with fans this year by releasing their third full album 'Unexpected' and 10th mini album 'EFFECT.' They also launched their fourth world tour 'THE BLAZE' in August, beginning at KSPO Dome in Seoul.
ALLDAY PROJECT is the newest group produced by Teddy, the hitmaker behind Big Bang and BLACKPINK. They debuted in June with the single album 'FAMOUS,' and their double title tracks Famous and Wicked swept music charts, becoming one of the most talked-about rookie groups of the year.
The KGMA Best Artist 10 (in alphabetical order) were: THE BOYZ, RIIZE, BOYNEXTDOOR, Xikers, ATEEZ, Xdinary Heroes, Lee Chan Won, Jennie, Cravity, and FIFTY FIFTY.
Other major winners included:
Best Memory: WOODZ
Best Adult Contemporary: Lee Chan Won
Best Trot Performance: Park Seo Jin
Best Band: Xdinary Heroes
Best Stage: Cravity
IS Rising Star: KiiiKiii, ALLDAY PROJECT
The night’s biggest winner was Lee Chan Won, who took home four awards, including Trend of the Year (Trot), Best Adult Contemporary, Best Artist 10, and the Popularity Award.
The KGMA, launched last year by leading entertainment and sports outlet Daily Sports (Edaily M) in celebration of its 55th anniversary, highlights artists and works that received significant love from fans around the world.
The 2025 KGMA is being held across two days, on the 14th and 15th. The second day is Music Day. KT ENA served as the broadcaster, and the event is livestreamed globally via TikTok Live, excluding Japan and China. Viewers in Japan can watch live through Hulu Japan.
2025 KGMA Artist Day 1 Winners:
2025 Grand Artist: ATEEZ
2025 Grand Performer: BOYNEXTDOOR
2025 Grand Honors Choice: THE BOYZ, ALLDAY PROJECT
Best Artist 10: THE BOYZ, RIIZE, BOYNEXTDOOR, Xikers, ATEEZ, Xdinary Heroes, Lee Chan Won, Jennie, Cravity, FIFTY FIFTY
Best Memory: WOODZ
Best Adult Contemporary: Lee Chan Won
Best Trot Performance: Park Seo Jin
Best Band: Xdinary Heroes
Best Stage: Cravity
Best Producer: Teddy
Best Hip-Hop: J-Hope
Best Music Video: Jin (Don’t Say You Love Me)
Best OST: Do Kyung Soo ("Forever" - 'Resident Playbook' OST)
IS Rookie: MEOVV
IS Rising Star: KiiiKiii, ALLDAY PROJECT
K-pop Overseas Artist: INI
Popularity Award: Lee Chan Won
iM Bank Smart Supporter Award: THE BOYZ
Trend of the Year: Lee Chan Won (Trot), NewJeans (K-pop Group)
SEE ALSO: K-netizens debate similarity between ALLDAY PROJECT's "FAMOUS" and Chris Lake & Aluna’s "Beggin'"
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