Under the Queen's Umbrella

2025 MAMA AWARDS concluded its 26th edition with a thoughtfully reimagined world's No.1 K-POP Awards and demonstrated the unifying power of music. The two-night awards ceremony, held November 28-29 at Hong Kong's Kai Tak Stadium, captivated fans on-site and online around the world.

The world’s No.1 K-POP Awards opened with a moment of silence honoring those affected in the wake of the recent fire tragedy, followed by opening remarks from CHAPTER 1 host PARK BO GUM and CHAPTER 2 host KIM HYE SOO, who acknowledged the healing role music plays.

Throughout both nights, a diverse mix of artists honored the moment with subdued yet powerful performances designed to offer comfort. All presenters and performers wore black memorial ribbons in solidarity. 

This year’s winners honored the best in K-pop, with G-DRAGON claiming “VISA ARTIST OF THE YEAR”, Stray Kids’ KARMA winning  “VISA ALBUM OF THE YEAR” and ROSÉ, Bruno Mars’ APT. winning “VISA SONG OF THE YEAR” with its impactful presence. For “MUSIC VISIONARY OF THE YEAR”, Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters received, recognizing innovative storytelling that expands K-pop's global reach. Other winners included veteran K-pop group SUPER JUNIOR receiving “INSPIRING ACHIEVEMENT” and global rookies CORTIS and Hearts2Hearts being crowned as “BEST NEW ARTIST”. 

The full list of winners includes:

2025 MAMA AWARDS CHAPTER 1 WINNERS

- FANS' CHOICE MALE TOP 10:

  BAEKHYUN

  SEVENTEEN

  Jin

  ENHYPEN

  G-DRAGON

  j-hope

  NCT DREAM

  RIIZE

  Stray Kids

  ZEROBASEONE

- FANS' CHOICE FEMALE TOP 10:

  IRENE

  IU

  ILLIT

  aespa

  BABYMONSTER

  Hearts2Hearts

  i-dle

  ITZY

  LE SSERAFIM

  TWICE

- FAVORITE GLOBAL PERFORMER: IVE

- TELASA FAVORITE GLOBAL ARTIST: ENHYPEN

- FAVORITE FEMALE GROUP: IVE

- BEST NEW ARTIST: CORTIS, Hearts2Hearts

- GLOBAL TREND SONG: IVE - REBEL HEART

- FAVORITE MALE GROUP: BOYNEXTDOOR

- INSPIRING ACHIEVEMENT: SUPER JUNIOR

- VISA SONG OF THE YEAR: ROSÉ, Bruno Mars - APT.

- VISA FANS' CHOICE OF THE YEAR: ENHYPEN

2025 MAMA AWARDS CHAPTER 2 WINNERS

- BEST DANCE PERFORMANCE MALE SOLO: G-DRAGON - TOO BAD (feat. Anderson .Paak)

- BEST DANCE PERFORMANCE FEMALE SOLO: JENNIE - like JENNIE

- FAVORITE RISING ARTIST: izna

- BEST CHOREOGRAPHY: aespa - Whiplash

- VISA SUPER STAGE ARTIST: TOMORROW X TOGETHER

- BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE SOLO: ROSÉ - toxic till the end

- BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE GROUP: DAVICHI - Stitching

- BEST MALE ARTIST: G-DRAGON

- BEST FEMALE ARTIST: ROSÉ

- BEST DANCE PERFORMANCE MALE GROUP: SEVENTEEN - THUNDER

- BEST DANCE PERFORMANCE FEMALE GROUP: aespa - Whiplash

- OLIVE YOUNG K-BEAUTY ARTIST: Hearts2Hearts

- MUSIC VISIONARY OF THE YEAR: NETFLIX’S KPOP DEMON HUNTERS

- FAVORITE ASIAN ARTIST: JO1

- BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST: ALLDAY PROJECT

- WORLDWIDE KCONers’ CHOICE: ZEROBASEONE 

- BEST BAND PERFORMANCE: DAY6 - Maybe Tomorrow

- BEST RAP & HIP HOP PERFORMANCE: BIG Naughty - MUSIC (Feat. LEE CHANHYUK)

- BEST COLLABORATION: ROSÉ, Bruno Mars - APT.

- BEST OST: HUNTR/X- Golden (NETFLIX’S KPOP DEMON HUNTERS OST)

- BEST MUSIC VIDEO: JENNIE - ZEN

- BEST MALE GROUP: SEVENTEEN

- BEST FEMALE GROUP: aespa

- VISA ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Stray Kids - KARMA

- VISA ARTIST OF THE YEAR: G-DRAGON 

2025 MAMA AWARDS, presented by title sponsor Visa, also featured various cross-genre collaborations and exclusive stages that only MAMA AWARDS can deliver over two nights. The awards ceremony was livestreamed globally in 4K via Mnet Plus, with enhanced visuals and expanded viewing angles bringing the experience to fans worldwide.

2025 MAMA AWARDS is financially supported by the Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.

–  The mobile-based, all-in-one platform surges in growth with its exclusive K-POP programming and fan engagement content

Leading entertainment company CJ ENM revealed today that its global K-POP content platform “Mnet Plus” has attracted more than 40 million app users up to date and a peak of over 20 million monthly active users (MAU), with both milestones reached within just three years of its launch.

Mnet Plus is a mobile-based global K-POP content platform that combines exclusive K-POP programming with distinctive fan participation in content. It enables global K-POP fans to watch original variety shows, stream Mnet’s broadcasts and live events, join live voting and in-app missions, collect digital goods, all within one app.

“Mnet Plus is more than a streaming service. It’s a place where global fans have the initiative to shape their own K-POP content experience,” said Kim Jiwon, Senior Vice President of Mnet Plus at CJ ENM. “Our goal is to build an integrated ‘Fanteractive (Fan + Interactive)’ platform that connects content, fandom, and business, redefining how global audiences absorb K-POP.”

Where Gen Zalpha Meets CJ ENM’s Flagship K-POP Content

Since launching in 2022, Mnet Plus has grown rapidly among Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences, with approximately 80 percent of its traffic coming from global markets including the US, China, Japan, Indonesia, and more.

Mnet Plus connects CJ ENM’s vast content library with dynamic fan engagement features. The platform offers exclusive K-POP content, including original variety shows SUMBAKKOKJIL and The City of Spy: NCT 127, featuring K-pop bands such as TOMORROW X TOGETHER, NCT 127, and ZEROBASEONE, along with streaming and on-demand services for Mnet’s programming, live events, KCON, and MAMA AWARDS.

Central to its growth is the concept of “Fanteractive,” which allows fans to take part in numerous in-app activities that go beyond mere viewing: they can vote for their favorite artists, complete missions, and support their beloved artists. Furthermore, through their participation, fans can even influence the outcomes of Mnet’s music chart shows and audition programs.

For example, the live finale of Boys II Planet, Mnet’s global boyband survival reality show, recorded over 3.5 million votes in a single day, peaking at more than 70,000 votes per second. The 2024 MAMA AWARDS also recorded more than 70 million votes, underscoring the platform’s exceptionally high level of fan engagement.

Heading Towards a “Fully Integrated Fanteractive Platform”

CJ ENM plans to elevate Mnet Plus to a fully integrated fanteractive platform that merges content, community, and commerce. Updates coming next year include four times more original and exclusive programming, enhanced global live-streaming capabilities, and integrated commerce and community features, all to strengthen the K-POP fandom value chain.

The platform will also introduce an ad-supported free viewing model to make it more accessible to users worldwide, while expanding viewing options to include premium content.

“Unlike fandom-targeted apps primarily centered on artists, platforms built around content can go as far as creating culture, rather than simply competing in the market,” said Cha Woojin, cultural critic and founder of K-Culture Lab. “Content-driven platforms aren’t just expanding the reach of K-POP, they’re becoming the engine that shapes the future of K-POP culture.”

- Recognized for bridging East and West in global media and for supporting the arts through education and industry initiatives

Miky Lee, Vice Chairwoman of CJ Group received the Arts Champion Award at the 2025 Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF), held in Newport Beach, California, on October 19.

Widely recognized as one of the most prestigious film festivals on the U.S. West Coast, the Newport Beach Film Festival annually honors creative visionaries and their contributions to the film industry.

This year, Miky Lee was recognized for her decades-long leadership in promoting the globalization of Korean culture and expanding cross-cultural understanding in the global entertainment and art community.

The festival highlighted Miky Lee’s far-reaching influence, noting, “She is recognized for bridging East and West in global media and for supporting the arts through education and industry initiatives.”  

In her acceptance speech, Miky Lee articulated the guiding vision that has driven her dedication to the entertainment industry. She stated, “30 years ago, CJ began its journey in entertainment and media, and I’m grateful to have been a bridge between different cultures and to be able to support talented creators and their dreams.”

She also addressed her recent cross-cultural film projects bringing Korean stories to American films and American stories to Korean films, adding, “This year, I am especially fortunate to have been part of developing two films that were inspired by stories from other cultures, such as Bugonia and No other Choice. These films show us that stories transcend borders and that art is about deepening our understanding of one another and celebrating the shared humanity that binds us all. Art is not just about creation — it is about connection.”

This year’s honorees include renowned Hollywood figures such as acclaimed actors Scarlett Johansson, Brendan Fraser, Mark Hamill, Diane Lane, Lee Byung-hun and many more. Park Chan-wook, director of No Other Choice, and Jerry Bruckheimer, producer behind Top Gun: Maverick and F1, have also joined the celebration.

As the founder of CJ's entertainment and media division, Miky Lee led CJ’s investment in DreamWorks SKG and has continually pursued her vision of bridging East and West, investing in Skydance Media, acquiring Fifth Season, and launching First Light StoryHouse to support authentic and diverse storytelling. Her influence spans film, television, and music, from launching Korea’s first multiplex cinema, CJ CGV, in 1998 to producing and executively producing four Oscar-winning Parasite, Lady Vengeance, August Rush, Thirst, Mother, Snowpiercer, The Handmaiden, Decision to Leave, Broker, Past Lives, and the upcoming Bugonia and No Other Choice.

Over the years, Miky Lee has been recognized by several esteemed institutions, including the 2022 Pillar Award from the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the 2022 International Emmy Directorate Award from the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, and Korea’s highest cultural distinction, the Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit, in 2023. In addition, she received the 2024 Global Citizen Award from the Atlantic Council, the 2024 Abu Dhabi Festival Award from the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation, and the 2025 Ellis Island Medal of Honor from the Ellis Island Honor Society.