The 34th Seoul Music Awards brought excitement to Incheon as BTS, TXT, Rosé, and I-DLE achieved significant victories. From military returns to a historic Daesang award, the brightest stars of K-pop dominated the evening with impressive accolades.
Held on June 21, 2025, the 34th Seoul Music Awards welcomed K-pop artists and solo performers to honor South Korea’s musical accomplishments of 2024. The venue for the event was the Inspire Arena in Incheon. Although typically scheduled for January, this year’s ceremony was postponed by five months, yet it still provided thrilling performances and surprising winners. BTS members Jimin and RM garnered their first music awards after returning from military service, while fellow HYBE group TXT topped the winners’ list. BLACKPINK’s Rosé received recognition for two significant awards. The event was organized by Y Global Music in partnership with Sports Seoul and continues to be one of the most prominent annual gatherings in the Korean music industry.
Often considered the Korean equivalent of the Grammys, the evening’s highest award, the Daesang, was presented to I-DLE, marking them as the first girl group in 14 years to receive this prestigious honor since Girls’ Generation in 2010. This moment stood out as one of the highlights of the night. Formerly known as (G)I-DLE, the group recently launched their special mini-album “We Are I-DLE,” featuring the lead single “Good Thing,” which signifies their rebranding. The album comprises six tracks, with contributions from each member on various aspects.
Rosé was the sole K-pop solo artist to win a Bonsang at this year’s Seoul Music Awards. In addition, she took home the World Best Artist Award, a recognition earned through her album “Rosie.”
The five-member boy band TXT—comprising Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and HueningKai—secured three major awards of the night, including Best Album, Best Song, and a Bonsang for their hit “Deja Vu.” They had previously won the grand prize for Best Performance at the 32nd Hanteo Music Awards.
Despite being on a two-year musical hiatus, BTS still made headlines at the ceremony. Marking their first major award after completing their military service, Jimin received the Hallyu Special Award, while RM was honored with the Best R&B/Hip-Hop Award.
Full list of winners:
Daesang (Grand Prize): (G)I-DLE
Best Song: TXT
Best Album: TXT, ZEROBASEONE
World Best Artist: Aespa, Rosé (BLACKPINK)
Bonsang (Main Award): Aespa, Doyoung (NCT), ENHYPEN, G-Dragon (BIGBANG), (G)I-DLE, ILLIT, NCT DREAM, NCT WISH, P1Harmony, PLAVE, QWER, Rosé (BLACKPINK), SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, TXT, Young Tak, ZEROBASEONE
Best Group: ILLIT, NCT WISH
Best Solo Artist: Doyoung (NCT)
Rookie of the Year: Hearts2Hearts, KickFlip, KiiiKiii
K-Pop World Choice (Group): BABYMONSTER
K-Pop World Choice (Solo): Young Tak
R&B/Hip Hop Award: RM (BTS)
Ballad Award: Hwang Karam
Trot Award: Young Tak
OST Award: Young Tak
Band Award: Wave to Earth
Best Performance Award: CRAVITY, FIFTY FIFTY
Korean Wave Award: Jimin (BTS)
Discovery of the Year: SAY MY NAME
K-Pop Special Award: BTOB
Popularity Award: Lee Chan Won
Rising Star: VVUP
