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.
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.
Indie group Danpyunsun and the Moments Ensemble received the most nominations with six, followed by girl group Aespa with five.
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. Meanwhile, Danpyunsun and the Moments Ensemble won Album of the Year.
Winners and nominees Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface, and indicated with a double dagger (‡). Nominees are listed in alphabetical order.
General field Danpyunsun and the Moments Ensemble – Hail to the Music Aespa – Armageddon Hyukoh & Sunset Rollercoaster – AAA Silica Gel – Power Andre 99 Sumin & Slom – Miniseries 2 Aespa – "Supernova" Bibi – "Bam Yang Gang" Danpyunsun and the Moments Ensemble – "Independent" Sumin & Slom – "Why, Why, Why" Rosé & Bruno Mars – "APT." Lee Seung-yoon Aespa Danpyunsun and the Moments Ensemble Rosé Silica Gel Sanmanhan Hyelyn Joo Illit Meeroo Choi SamSan TWS
Genre categories Aespa – Armageddon (G)I-dle – 2 Riize – Riizing: Epilogue TripleS – Assemble24 Yves – I Did Aespa – "Supernova" Illit – "Magnetic" Rosé & Bruno Mars – "APT." TripleS – "Girls Never Die" TWS – "Plot Twist" John Park – PSST! Kim Yuna – Tale of Sensuality Rooftop Moonlight – 40 Savina & Drones – Lasha Sunwoo Jung-a – Beyond Bibi – "Bam Yang Gang" IU – "Love Wins All" Lee Young-ji – "Small Girl" Rooftop Moonlight – "Diving" Sunwoo Jung-a – "Star Candy" 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 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" 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 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." Net Gala – Galapaggot Gazaebal – Texture Music: 2011 - 2020 HWI– Humanly Possible Hypnosis Therapy – Raw Survival Various Artists – SCA2 Mount XLR – "Oving" Haepaary – "The Night" HWI – "Your My Past Lives" Hypnosis Therapy – "Blaze" Swimrabbit – "Evolution" 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 G-Dragon – "Power" B-Free & Hukky Shibaseki – "INDO" Fleeky Bang – "Fire" Kawaii – "Pride" QM – "Got Yourself A Gun" Sumin & Slom – Miniseries 2 BRWN – Monsoon JINBO the SuperFreak, Hersh & PoPoMo – PoPoMo Jung-in & Mild Beats – Jung In & Mild Beats Sole – Time Machine Jung-in & Mild Beats – "Blame" Hyelyn Joo – "Crazy" John Park – "Like A Dream" Sole – "Still Love" Sumin & Slom – "Why, Why, Why" 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 Kang A-sol – "Anyone But Me" Meroo Choi – "Dap" Moher – "Baksugijeong" Sanmanhan – "When It Becomes A Song" Xeuda – "How Can I Tell You Love" Seaweed Mustache – 2 Fecundation – Moribund The Holy Mountain – The Holy Mountain Materials Pound – Bulb Sahon – Blood Shall Be Paid Bando – Shape of the Land Dulabam – Dulabam Hwang Min-wang – [Jang:dan] Kim Ji-hye – Pado Liberosis – Re-mind Nubim – Crossroads (Live in Amsterdam) 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 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 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