Seoul’s KSPO Dome was loud in the way only K-pop can be loud on February 15, as the 33rd Hanteo Music Awards pulled together the names that shaped 2025. This is the room where numbers meet noise, where global album sales turn into trophies and where bragging rights are backed by data that fans track obsessively all year.
The night belonged to heavyweights and headline makers. BTS reminded everyone why their name still travels faster than any comeback teaser, while G Dragon collected fresh honours with the ease of someone who has long mastered the stage.
Stray Kids, ATEEZ and ENHYPEN stood firm in the top ranks, proving that dominance in K-pop is never accidental. And then there were the new disruptors like CORTIS, stepping into the spotlight with the kind of momentum that signals a shift.
It was not just about accolades and speeches. Veterans and newer performance groups kept the energy restless, with acts like tripleS, PENTAGON and LEE YOUNG JI turning the arena into a live wire. With Tiffany Young and Lee Chan Won steering the ceremony, the 2025 edition felt sharp, current and unapologetically competitive.
Scroll ahead for the full winners list from the 33rd Hanteo Music Awards.
Major Grand Prize Winners (Daesang)
- Best Album: Stray Kids (KARMA)
- Best Artist: ATEEZ
- Best Performance: ENHYPEN
- Best Song: G-Dragon for “Too Bad (feat. Anderson .Paak)”
Artist of the Year (Hanteo Top 10)
- Lee Chan Won
- ATEEZ
- BOYNEXTDOOR
- SEVENTEEN
- Stray Kids
- aespa
- ENHYPEN
- G-Dragon
- NCT WISH
- PLAVE
Rookie of the Year
- CORTIS
- Hearts2Hearts
Emerging Artists
- EVNNE
- ARTMS
Next Wave
- tripleS
- Billlie
- xikers
Blooming Star Award
- 8TURN
- NOWZ
- idntt
Special Awards
- Independent: Lee Seung Yoon
- Virtual: PLAVE
- Ballad: Lee Mu Jin
- Trot: Lee Chae Won
- Remake: Hwang Ka Ram
- Band: LUCY
- Hip Hop: Lee Young Ji
- Special Crossover: Forestella
- Special Collaboration: WING
Best of Adult Contemporary:
- Park Ji Hyeon
- Son Tae Jin
- Kim Hee Jae
Best of Ballad
- Lee Chang Sub
Post Generation Award
- Isegye Idol
- WEi
10th Anniversary Influential Artist
- Pentagon
20th Anniversary Wannabe Icon Artist
- Super Junior’s KYUHYUN
30th Anniversary Legend of the Age
- Yoon Jongshin
Popularity & Global Awards
- Global Popular Artist: BTS
- Best Popular Artist: Lim Young Woong
- WhosFandom Award: Hero Generation (Lim Young Woong fandom)
- Best Continent Artist (Asia & Oceania): Tomorrow X Together
- Best Continent Artist (Americas & Europe & Africa): Stray Kids
- World Stage: ATEEZ
Awards season always tells one story on paper and another in the fandom timelines. Which win felt inevitable, and which one caught you off guard?
Tell us your thoughts on X and Instagram. For more news updates and K-pop coverage, visit Lyrical Muse.
Leave a Reply