BLACKPINK’s Kim Jennie made history at the 2025 Melon Music Awards (MAMA 2025), becoming the first soloist ever to win the coveted Record of the Year Daesang at the ceremony held December 20 at Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome.
Jennie’s triumph capped a landmark year for the Korean-pop (K-pop) star, anchored by the release of her critically acclaimed debut solo album “Ruby”, which dominated both domestic and international charts following its March release.
Her – the only Daesang determined purely by judges’ artistic evaluation – was met with thunderous applause from fans and fellow artists alike.
“I miss the members so much,” Jennie said during her acceptance speech, expressing gratitude to fans – known as BLINKs – and her production team.
“This year has been deeply meaningful with my first album and so many things happening,” she added.
Fans delighted with Jennie win
Supporters then celebrated not only the historic victories but the sense of community and excitement that permeated MAMA 2025, with social media lighting up as reactions poured in worldwide.
“She deserves it. All songs on her album are really good,” one commented on a TikTok video of her accepting her award.
“For every success, she always thanks Blinks, her members and everyone who supports her. She’s so sweet, I love her so much, Nini!” another one said.
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G-Dragon wins three big prizes
The night also belonged to BIGBANG icon G-Dragon, who delivered a sweeping performance on the awards stage and claimed three of the four grand prizes – Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for “Übermensch” and Song of the Year for “Home Sweet Home”.
His dominance underscored an extraordinary year, highlighted by his first full album in over a decade and sustained chart success.
MAMA 2025 is a major annual K-pop music awards ceremony held in South Korea. The event spotlighted a diverse field of winners and performances, reflecting the dynamic scope of Korean music this year.
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