22nd Korean Music Awards

22nd Korean Music Awards
Date	February 27, 2025
Location	Seoul, South Korea
Hosted by	Moon Sang-hoon
Most awards	Aespa Lee Seung-yoon (3)
Most nominations	Danpyunsun and the Moments Ensemble (6)
Website	koreanmusicawards.com
Television/radio coverage
Network	PRIZM Live YouTube
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The 22nd Korean Music Awards was held in Seoul, South Korea on February 27, 2025. Hosted by the Korean Music Awards Selection Committee and sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency, the ceremony recognized the best music released in South Korea between December 1, 2023, and November 30, 2024. ^[1]

Unlike other South Korean music awards, the Korean Music Awards are based on musical achievement rather than record sales. Winners are determined by the Korean Music Awards Selection Committee, which comprises music critics, radio show producers, academics, and other music industry professionals. Nominations were announced on February 6, 2025, through its official website and YouTube channel. ^[2]

Indie group Danpyunsun and the Moments Ensemble received the most nominations with six, followed by girl group Aespa with five. ^{[3] [4]}

Aespa and Lee Seung-yoon were the biggest winners of the night, each taking home three awards, with Aespa taking Song of the Year and Lee Seung-yoon earning Musician of the Year. ^{[5] [6]} Meanwhile, Danpyunsun and the Moments Ensemble won Album of the Year. ^[7]

Winners and nominees

Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface, and indicated with a double dagger (‡). Nominees are listed in alphabetical order. ^{[2] [8] [7]}

General field

Album of the Year Danpyunsun and the Moments Ensemble – Hail to the Music‡ Aespa – Armageddon Hyukoh & Sunset Rollercoaster – AAA Silica Gel – Power Andre 99 Sumin & Slom – Miniseries 2	Song of the Year Aespa – "Supernova"‡ Bibi – "Bam Yang Gang" Danpyunsun and the Moments Ensemble – "Independent" Sumin & Slom – "Why, Why, Why" Rosé & Bruno Mars – "Apt."
Musician of the Year Lee Seung-yoon ‡ Aespa Danpyunsun and the Moments Ensemble Rosé Silica Gel	Rookie of the Year Sanmanhan‡ Hyelyn Joo Illit Meeroo Choi SamSan TWS

Genre categories

Best K-pop Album Aespa – Armageddon ‡ (G)I-dle – 2 Riize – Riizing: Epilogue TripleS – Assemble24 Yves – I Did	Best K-pop Song Aespa – "Supernova"‡ Illit – "Magnetic" Rosé & Bruno Mars – "Apt." TripleS – "Girls Never Die" TWS – "Plot Twist"
Best Pop Album John Park – PSST!‡ Kim Yuna – Tale of Sensuality Rooftop Moonlight – 40 Savina & Drones – Lasha Sunwoo Jung-a – Beyond	Best Pop Song Bibi – "Bam Yang Gang"‡ IU – "Love Wins All" Lee Young-ji – "Small Girl" (featuring D.O.) Rooftop Moonlight – "Diving" Sunwoo Jung-a – "Star Candy"
Best Rock Album Soumbalgwang – Fire & Light‡ Kim Soo-chul – Kim Soo-chul 45th Anniversary Where Are You Lee Seung-yoon – Yeok Seong MONO4OLY – Ordinary Chaos Seoulbusanincheon – Wrecking Havoc	Best Rock Song Lee Seung-yoon – "Anthems of Defiance"‡ Kim Soo-chul – "Where Are You" Danpyunsun and the Moments Ensemble – "Independent" Bongjeingan – "Know You Did" MONO4OLY – "Fake Empire"
Best Modern Rock Album Danpyunsun and the Moments Ensemble – Hail to the Music‡ Hyukoh & Sunset Rollercoaster – AAA Leaves Black – Flight Meaningful Stone – Angel Interview Silica Gel – Power Andre 99	Best Modern Rock Song Lee Seung-yoon – "Waterfall"‡ Danpyunsun and the Moments Ensemble – "Days Happier Than Today Will Be Few in My Remaining Life" Hanroro – "H O M E" Hyukoh & Sunset Rollercoaster – "Young Man" Wave to Earth – "Annie."
Best Electronic Album Net Gala – Galapaggot‡ Gazaebal – Texture Music: 2011 - 2020 HWI– Humanly Possible Hypnosis Therapy – Raw Survival Various Artists – SCA2	Best Electronic Song Mount XLR – "Oving"‡ Haepaary – "The Night" HWI – "Your My Past Lives" Hypnosis Therapy – "Blaze" Swimrabbit – "Evolution" (featuring Hunjiya)
Best Rap & Hip-Hop Album B-Free & Hukky Shibaseki – Free Hukky Shibaseki & the God Sun Symphony Group: Odyssey. 1‡ EK – Escape Garion – Garion 3 Kwaii – Distorted O'Koye – Whether the Weather Changes or Not	Best Rap & Hip-Hop Song G-Dragon – "Power"‡ B-Free & Hukky Shibaseki – "INDO" Fleeky Bang – "Fire" (featuring Changmo) Kawaii – "Pride" QM – "Got Yourself A Gun" (featuring Zico)
Best R&B & Soul Album Sumin & Slom – Miniseries 2‡ BRWN – Monsoon JINBO the SuperFreak, Hersh & PoPoMo – PoPoMo Jung In & Mild Beats – Jung In & Mild Beats Sole – Time Machine	Best R&B & Soul Song Jung In & Mild Beats – "Blame"‡ Hyelyn Joo – "Crazy" John Park – "Like A Dream" Sole – "Still Love" Sumin & Slom – "Why, Why, Why"
Best Folk Album Moher – Kaleidoscope‡ Kang A-sol – From Where No One Is, To Where Everyone Is Kim Sa-wol – Default Sanmanhan – Sanmanhan Xeuda – How Can I Tell You Love	Best Folk Song Kang A-sol – "Anyone But Me"‡ Meroo Choi – "Dap" Moher – "Baksugijeong" Sanmanhan – "When It Becomes A Song" Xeuda – "How Can I Tell You Love"
Best Metal & Hardcore Album Seaweed Mustache – 2‡ Fecundation – Moribund The Holy Mountain – The Holy Mountain Materials Pound – Bulb Sahon – Blood Shall Be Paid	Best Global Contemporary Album Bando – Shape of the Land‡ Dulabam – Dulabam Hwang Min-wang – [Jang:dan](with Satoshi Takeishi) Kim Ji-hye – Pado Liberosis – Re-mind Nubim – Crossroads (Live in Amsterdam)
Best Jazz Album Nam Ye-ji – Old Songs, Tmmm‡ Cho Hae-in – Sight Beyond Sight Kim Min-hee – Confession Kim Ju-hwan – After Midnight: Still in the Moonlight Na Yoon-sun – Elles	Best Jazz Instrumental Album Jihye Lee Orchestra – Infinite Connections‡ Pudditorium – Prologue: Hope Sunji Lee – Eternal Teho – Pierrot le Fumeur Yun Seok-cheol Trio – My Summer's Not Over Yet

Special awards

• Lifetime Achievement Award – Lee Ho-jun ^[9]
• Selection Committee Special Award – Live Club Day

Multiple awards

The following artist(s) received two or more awards:

Count	Artist(s)
3	Aespa
	Lee Seung-yoon
2	Danpyunsun and the Moments Ensemble

References

1. "2025 제22회 한국대중음악상 시상식" [The 22nd Korean Music Awards 2025 Ceremony]. Korean Music Awards (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 6, 2025. Retrieved February 6, 2025.
2. "2025 제22회 한국대중음악상 후보작" [The 22nd Korean Music Awards 2025 Nominees]. Korean Music Awards (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 6, 2025. Retrieved February 6, 2025.
3. Choi, Joo-sung (February 6, 2025). 에스파 '슈퍼노바' 앞세워 한국대중음악상 5개 부문 후보 [5 nominations for the Korean Music Awards with Aespa's 'Supernova' at the forefront] (in Korean). Yonhap News Agency. Archived from the original on February 6, 2025. Retrieved February 6, 2025– via Naver.
4. "Indie band Danpyunsun leads Korean Music Awards nominations, beating aespa". The Korea Times. February 7, 2025. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
5. Hwang, So-young (February 28, 2025). 이승윤 '한국대중음악상' 3관왕 "시대 잊지 않는 음악할 것" [Lee Seung-yoon won the three Korean Popular Music Award, "I will do music that will not forget the times."] (in Korean). JTBC. Archived from the original on February 28, 2025. Retrieved February 28, 2025– via Naver.
6. Han, Hyun-jung (February 28, 2025). ‘K팝 레전드’ 에스파, 한국대중음악상 3관왕 쾌거 ["K-pop Legend" Aespa Wins 3 Korean Music Awards] (in Korean). Maeil Business Newspaper. Archived from the original on February 28, 2025. Retrieved February 28, 2025– via Naver.
7. Kim, Soo-jung (February 28, 2025). 한대음 올해의 음반은, 단편선 순간들 '음악만세'…에스파·이승윤 3관왕 [Danpyunsun and the Moments Ensemble's album of the year, short story moments, 'Hail to the Music'...Aespa and Lee Seungyoon won three awards] (in Korean). No Cut News. Archived from the original on February 28, 2025. Retrieved February 28, 2025– via Naver.
8. Lee, Jae-hoon (February 6, 2025). 단편선 순간들·에스파, '한국대중음악상' 6·5개 부문 후보 [Danpyunsun and the Moments Ensemble and Aespa, 6·5 Nominations for the 'Korean Music Awards'] (in Korean). Newsis. Archived from the original on February 6, 2025. Retrieved February 6, 2025– via Naver.
9. "2025 제22회 한국대중음악상 특별분야" [The 22nd Korean Music Awards 2025 Special Awards]. Korean Music Awards (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 6, 2025. Retrieved February 6, 2025.