The 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards took place in Los Angeles on March 18 (KST), recognizing the most streamed and impactful artists of the past year. Several K-pop acts achieved major wins, proving the genre’s continued influence on the global music industry.
Among the winners, ATEEZ, Stray Kids, and ILLIT took home trophies in major group categories, while BTS’s Jimin and TXT’s Yeonjun claimed solo honors.
ATEEZ won "K-POP ARTIST OF THE YEAR" following the massive success of their 10th mini-album, "GOLDEN HOUR: Part.1." According to Luminate’s 2024 Year-End Music Report, the album ranked 4th in U.S. CD sales (250,000 copies). Their 11th mini-album, "GOLDEN HOUR: Part.2," also dominated the charts, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Stray Kids secured "K-POP ALBUM OF THE YEAR" for their 9th mini-album, "ATE." This marks their second consecutive win in the category. "ATE" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 232,000 copies in its first week in the U.S. This milestone extended their streak of five consecutive Billboard 200 No. 1 albums since "ODDINARY" in 2022. They also made history by topping the Billboard 200 six times with their special album "HOP," the first K-pop group to achieve this in the chart’s 69-year history.
Newcomer ILLIT claimed "BEST NEW ARTIST (K-POP)," beating groups like BABYMONSTER, NCT WISH, and TWS. The group debuted in March 2024 with their mini-album "SUPER REAL ME," featuring the viral hit "Magnetic." The song made a global impact, charting on the Billboard Hot 100 and entering the UK Official Singles Top 100.
BTS’s Jimin was awarded "K-POP SONG OF THE YEAR" for "Who," the title track from his second solo album, "MUSE." The song has been on the Billboard Hot 100 for 32 weeks, tying BTS’s "Dynamite" as the longest-charting K-pop solo track. On Spotify, "Who" surpassed 1.5 billion streams last month, making it the most-streamed K-pop song of 2024.
TXT’s Yeonjun received the first-ever "FAVORITE K-POP DANCE CHALLENGE" award, a fan-voted category. His performance of "GGUM" in the group’s viral dance challenge garnered over 200 million views, proving his influence as a top performer.
The iHeartRadio Music Awards is an annual event recognizing the most streamed and popular artists. This year’s results reaffirm K-pop’s strong presence in the global music scene, with artists breaking records and setting new industry standards.
Sayart / ReaA JUNG, queen7203@gmail.com
Courtesy of iHeartRadio Music Award 2025
The 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards took place in Los Angeles on March 18 (KST), recognizing the most streamed and impactful artists of the past year. Several K-pop acts achieved major wins, proving the genre’s continued influence on the global music industry.
Among the winners, ATEEZ, Stray Kids, and ILLIT took home trophies in major group categories, while BTS’s Jimin and TXT’s Yeonjun claimed solo honors.
ATEEZ won "K-POP ARTIST OF THE YEAR" following the massive success of their 10th mini-album, "GOLDEN HOUR: Part.1." According to Luminate’s 2024 Year-End Music Report, the album ranked 4th in U.S. CD sales (250,000 copies). Their 11th mini-album, "GOLDEN HOUR: Part.2," also dominated the charts, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Stray Kids secured "K-POP ALBUM OF THE YEAR" for their 9th mini-album, "ATE." This marks their second consecutive win in the category. "ATE" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 232,000 copies in its first week in the U.S. This milestone extended their streak of five consecutive Billboard 200 No. 1 albums since "ODDINARY" in 2022. They also made history by topping the Billboard 200 six times with their special album "HOP," the first K-pop group to achieve this in the chart’s 69-year history.
Newcomer ILLIT claimed "BEST NEW ARTIST (K-POP)," beating groups like BABYMONSTER, NCT WISH, and TWS. The group debuted in March 2024 with their mini-album "SUPER REAL ME," featuring the viral hit "Magnetic." The song made a global impact, charting on the Billboard Hot 100 and entering the UK Official Singles Top 100.
BTS’s Jimin was awarded "K-POP SONG OF THE YEAR" for "Who," the title track from his second solo album, "MUSE." The song has been on the Billboard Hot 100 for 32 weeks, tying BTS’s "Dynamite" as the longest-charting K-pop solo track. On Spotify, "Who" surpassed 1.5 billion streams last month, making it the most-streamed K-pop song of 2024.
TXT’s Yeonjun received the first-ever "FAVORITE K-POP DANCE CHALLENGE" award, a fan-voted category. His performance of "GGUM" in the group’s viral dance challenge garnered over 200 million views, proving his influence as a top performer.
The iHeartRadio Music Awards is an annual event recognizing the most streamed and popular artists. This year’s results reaffirm K-pop’s strong presence in the global music scene, with artists breaking records and setting new industry standards.
