Rosé of Blackpink has achieved a historic milestone, becoming the first K-pop artist to win Song of the Year at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), one of the four major US pop music awards.
At the ceremony held Sunday at UBS Arena in New York, the singer-songwriter accepted the trophy for APT., her collaboration with US pop star Bruno Mars. The track secured one of the night’s top honors, marking the first-ever win for a K-pop act in the category. BTS’s Dynamite was nominated in 2021 but did not win.
Wearing a gold gown, Rosé began her acceptance speech with, “I can’t believe this,” before thanking Mars: “First and foremost, I want to thank Bruno for believing in me and supporting me.” She added, “This is a rewarding moment for all the hard work we put in, and I’m so happy to accept this award.”
She also gave a heartfelt shoutout: “Teddy, I got the award. Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa — I got it. Thank you always, I love you,” switching between English and Korean.
Rosé led all K-pop nominees with a record eight nods this year, including Song of the Year, Video of the Year, Best Collaboration, Best Pop, Best Direction, Best Art Direction, Best Visual Effects for APT., and Best K-pop for her solo debut album’s title track Toxic Till the End.
The Best K-pop award, however, went to fellow Blackpink member Lisa, who claimed the honor for the second consecutive year with Born Again, her collaboration with Doja Cat and Raye. The category was dominated by Blackpink, with all four members earning nominations, alongside aespa’s Whiplash, BTS’s Jimin’s Who, and Stray Kids’ Chk Chk Boom.
by Byung-Yeon Yoo
yooby@hankyung.com
