The 2025 Music Awards Japan, part of the Music Awards Japan series, is the inaugural award ceremony to be held at Rohm Theatre in Kyoto on May 21–22, 2025. It is organized by the Japan Culture and Entertainment Industry Promotion Association (CEIPA), an organization founded by five major Japanese music associations. Japanese broadcaster NHK announced it would broadcast the second day of the awards show, while both days would be live streamed on YouTube. Hiroe Igeta, , and Atsushi Yanaka hosted the first day of the ceremony, and Masaki Suda hosted the second day with foreword from Haruomi Hosono.
Singer-songwriter Fujii Kaze received 17 nominations followed by hip-hop duo Creepy Nuts (16), pop duo Yoasobi (14) and the pop-rock band Mrs. Green Apple (13). Creepy Nuts became the most winning artist with nine awards.
Showcases and MAJ Music Week In mid-January 2025, CEIPA announced a concert featuring Japanese singer Ado, girl group Atarashii Gakko! and pop duo Yoasobi which took place at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California on March 16, 2025. It was the first showcase to be held prior the award ceremony., page 2
Between May 17 though 23rd, 2025, the MAJ Music Week was held. This event which took place in the week of the award show contains out of conferences, seminars and concerts. The second day of the award ceremony was broadcast on NHK General TV, while both days were livestreamed on YouTube globally.
Nomination process An automatic system will create a pool of eligible works and artists based on metrics by Oricon, Billboard Japan, GfK Japan, Luminate, Usen, Daiichi Kosho Company, JASRAC and others. To be eligible for a nomination an artist has to have released a work between January 29, 2024 to January 26, 2025.
From this generated pool, a panel of persons from the Japanese music industry selects up to five nominees per category. Once the nominations are announced, an international panel will select the winner of each category. The nominees and winners in the categories Best of Listeners' Choice: Japanese Song and Best of Listeners' Choice: International Song are determined entirely through a public vote via Spotify.
During voting process, each eligible voting member are allowed to vote for five songs, artists or albums. It is also allowed to vote once for a work the voting member was directly involved. In the second voting round, only those voting members who participated in the first voting are eligible to vote alongside the international panel members.
On April 21, 2025 the organisers withdrew the nomination of the song "Show" by Ado in the Best Anime Song category for not meeting the nomination criteria of being a song used as opening or ending theme or an insert song in an anime production and issued an apology. It was also announced that a re-vote will take place among the four nominated works.
Winners and nominees The nominees for 50 categories were announced on April 17, 2025. The nominations for Karaoke of the Year were announced separately. The Best Enka/Kayōkyoku award was announced on May 19, ahead of the ceremony dates. Sub categories and main awards' winners were announced on May 21 and 22.
Main categories + Album of the Year Artist of the Year Fujii Kaze – Love All Serve All Mrs. Green Apple – Antenna Kenshi Yonezu – Lost Corner Vaundy – Replica Hikaru Utada – Science Fiction Mrs. Green Apple Creepy Nuts Fujii Kaze Vaundy Yoasobi Song of the Year New Artist of the Year Creepy Nuts – "Bling-Bang-Bang-Born" Rosé featuring Bruno Mars – "APT." Yoasobi – "Idol" Fujii Kaze – "Michiteyuku" Mrs. Green Apple – "Lilac" Tuki Fruits Zipper Number_i Omoinotake Kocchi no Kento Top Global Hit from Japan Best Song Asia Yoasobi – "Idol" Lotus Juice and Azumi Takahashi – "It's Going Down Now" XG – "Woke Up" Fujii Kaze – "Shinunoga E-Wa" Miki Matsubara – "Mayonaka no Door (Stay with Me)" Aespa – "Supernova" (South Korea) Bernadya – "Satu Bulan" (Indonesia) Regina Song – "The Cutest Pair" (Singapore) Plave – "Way 4 Luv" (South Korea) Jeff Satur – "Ghost" (Thailand)
Sub categories + Best Japanese Song Top Japanese Song in Asia Creepy Nuts – "Bling-Bang-Bang-Born" Yoasobi – "Idol" Kenshi Yonezu – "Sayonara, Mata Itsuka!" Fujii Kaze – "Michiteyuku" Mrs. Green Apple – "Lilac" Kenshi Yonezu – "Lemon" Creepy Nuts – "Bling-Bang-Bang-Born" Imase – "Night Dancer" Yoasobi – "Idol" Yuuri – "Betelgeuse" Top Japanese Song in Europe Top Japanese Song in Latin America Creepy Nuts – "Bling-Bang-Bang-Born" Kenshi Yonezu – "Kick Back" Teriyaki Boyz – "Tokyo Drift (Fast & Furious)" King Gnu – "Specialz" Yoasobi – "Idol" Creepy Nuts – "Bling-Bang-Bang-Born" Imase – "Night Dancer" King Gnu – "Specialz" Yoasobi – "Idol" Miki Matsubara – "Mayonaka no Door (Stay with Me)" Top Japanese Song in North America Best J-Rock Song Creepy Nuts – "Bling-Bang-Bang-Born" Lotus Juice and Azumi Takahashi – "It's Going Down Now" Kenshi Yonezu – "Kick Back" King Gnu – "Specialz" Miki Matsubara – "Mayonaka no Door (Stay with Me)" King Gnu – "Specialz" Omoinotake – "Ikuokukonen" Vaundy – "Kaijū no Hanauta" 10-Feet – "Dai Zero-kan" Mrs. Green Apple – "Lilac" Best Japanese Hip Hop/Rap Song Best Japanese R&B/Contemporary Song Creepy Nuts – "Bling-Bang-Bang-Born" Chanmina – "B-List" XG – "Woke Up" Kenji Ozawa featuring Scha Dara Parr – "Konya wa Boogie Back" Yuki Chiba – "Team Tomodachi" Hikaru Utada – "Automatic" Hikaru Utada – "First Love" Ayumu Imazu – "Obsessed" Tatsuro Yamashita – "Ride on Time" Ai – "Story" Fujii Kaze – "Kirari" Fujii Kaze – "Shinunoga E-Wa" Fujii Kaze – "Hana" Fujii Kaze – "Michiteyuku" Chanmina – "Harenchi" Best Japanese Dance Pop Song Best Japanese Alternative Song Creepy Nuts – "Bling-Bang-Bang-Born" Da-ice – "I Wonder" Yoasobi – "Idol" Atarashii Gakko! – "Otonablue" Ado – "Show" Hitsujibungaku – "More Than Words" Hitsujibungaku – "Burning" Tomoo – "Present" Rikon Densetsu – "Love Is More Mellow" Rikon Densetsu – "Honjitsu no Osusume" Mega Shinnosuke – "Ai to U" Jo0ji – "Worksong" Best Japanese Singer-Songwriter Song Best Enka/Kayōkyoku Vaundy – "Kaijū no Hanauta" Kenshi Yonezu – "Sayonara, Mata Itsuka!" Tuki – "Bansanka" Aimyon – "Marigold" Fujii Kaze – "Michiteyuku" Keisuke Yamauchi – "Kurenai no Chō"' Leon Shinhama – "Subete Ageyō" Show-Wa – "Kimi no Ōji-sama" Junretsu – "Yume Mita Kajitsu" Matsuri – "Aventure Naka Meguro" Best Anime Song Best Idol Culture Song Yoasobi – "Idol" Creepy Nuts – "Bling-Bang-Bang-Born" Ado – "Show" 10-Feet – "Dai Zero-kan" Mrs. Green Apple – "Lilac" Fruits Zipper – "Watashi no Ichiban Kawaii Tokoro" Arashi – "Love So Sweet" Snow Man – "Love Trigger" Cutie Street – "Kawaii Dake ja Dame Desu ka?" Chō Tokimeki Sendenbu – "Saijōkyū ni Kawaii no!" Best Revival Hit Song Best Cross-Border Collaboration Song Eiichi Ohtaki – "Peppermint Blue" Kiroro – "Best Friend" Hikaru Utada – "Hikari" Toshiyuki Nishida – "Moshi mo Piano ga Hiketa nara" Asian Kung-Fu Generation – "Rewrite" Fujii Kaze (produced by A. G. Cook) – "Feelin' Good" One Ok Rock featuring Dan Lancaster (produced by Rob Cavallo) – "Delusion:All" Megan Thee Stallion featuring Yuki Chiba – "Mamushi" Babymetal featuring Electric Callboy – "Ratatata" Hikaru Utada (produced by A. G. Cook) – "Naniiro de mo Nai Hana" Best Instrumental Song Best Vocaloid Culture Song Nujabes – "Aruarian Dance" Jazztronik – "Evoke" Special Others – "Good Song" Ovall – "Stargazer" Cho Co Pa Co Cho Co Quin Quin – "Chichibu" Kurousa-P – "Senbonzakura" Sasuke Haraguchi – "Igaku" Yoshida Yasei – "Override" Hiiragi Magnetite – "Tetoris" Satsuki – "Mesmerizer" Best Music Video Best Dance Performance Yoasobi – "Idol" Creepy Nuts – "Bling-Bang-Bang-Born" Kocchi no Kento – "Hai Yorokonde" Fujii Kaze – "Michiteyuku" Mrs. Green Apple – "Lilac" Atarashii Gakko! – "Otonablue" Number_i – "GOAT" Sekai no Owari – "Habit" Da-ice – "I Wonder" Be:First – "Masterplan" Best Viral Song Best Dance/Electronic Song Creepy Nuts – "Bling-Bang-Bang-Born" Yoasobi – "Idol" Cutie Street – "Kawaii Dake ja Dame Desu ka?" Chō Tokimeki Sendenbu – "Saijōkyū ni Kawaii no!" Kocchi no Kento – "Hai Yorokonde" Wednesday Campanella – "Edison" Testset – "Moneyman" Chari Chari – "Of Mystic Rhythms (Psychic Thermometry mix)" Towa Tei featuring Takkyu Ishino – "Typical!" Denki Groove – "Denki Groove 34 Shūnen no Uta" Best Jazz Album Best Classical Album Akiko Yano and Hiromi Uehara – Step Into Paradise — Live in Tokyo Makoto Ozone – Day 1 Sadao Watanabe – Peace Seiko Matsuda – Seiko Jazz 3 Ovall – Still Water Ryūichi Sakamoto – Opus Nobuyuki Tsujii – The Best Hayato Kadono – Human Universe Joe Hisaishi – A Symphonic Celebration – Music from the Studio Ghibli Films of Hayao Miyazaki Fujiko Hemming – Kiseki no Campanella Best DJ Best Japanese Song Artist DJ Nobu Dazzle Drums DJ Koco Okadada Yōsuke Yukimatsu Mrs. Green Apple Vaundy Yoasobi Fujii Kaze Kenshi Yonezu Best J-Rock Artist Best Japanese Hip Hop/Rap Artist King Gnu Mrs. Green Apple Official Hige Dandism One Ok Rock Vaundy Creepy Nuts Awich XG Yuki Chiba Chanmina Best Japanese R&B/Contemporary Artist Best Japanese Dance Pop Artist Hikaru Utada Chanmina Fujii Kaze Gen Hoshino Tatsuro Yamashita Atarashii Gakko! Be:First Creepy Nuts Mrs. Green Apple Yoasobi Best Japanese Alternative Artist Best Idol Artist/Group Hitsujibungaku Kroi Rikon Densetsu Tomoo Toki Asako Snow Man Cutie Street Fruits Zipper NiziU Nogizaka46 Best Japanese Singer-Songwriter Fujii Kaze Aimyon Hikaru Utada Vaundy Kenshi Yonezu Best International Rock Song in Japan Best International Alternative Song in Japan Coldplay – "Feelslikeimfallinginlove" Green Day – "The American Dream Is Killing Me" Linkin Park – "The Emptiness Machine" Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen – "I Had Some Help" Bon Jovi – "Legendary" Billie Eilish – "Birds of a Feather" Billie Eilish – "Chihiro" Billie Eilish – "Lunch" Vampire Weekend – "Classical" Ginger Root – "No Problems" Keshi – "Say" Mina Okabe – "Strong" Best International Hip Hop/Rap Song in Japan Best International R&B/Contemporary Song in Japan Kendrick Lamar – "Not Like Us" Snoop Dogg featuring Sting – "Another Part of Me" Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA – "Luther" Megan Thee Stallion featuring Yuki Chiba – "Mamushi" Eminem, Big Sean and Babytron – "Tobey" Ariana Grande – "We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)" The Weeknd – "Dancing in the Flames" Norah Jones – "Running" SZA – "Saturn" Beyoncé – "Texas Hold 'Em" Best International Pop Song in Japan Best K-Pop Song in Japan Rosé featuring Bruno Mars – "APT." Lady Gaga featuring Bruno Mars – "Die with a Smile" Sabrina Carpenter – "Espresso" Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone – "Fortnight" Beyoncé – "Texas Hold 'Em" NewJeans – "Ditto" BTS – "Dynamite" Illit – "Magnetic" Le Sserafim – "Perfect Night" NewJeans – "Supernatural" Aespa – "Supernova" Aespa – "Whiplash" Special Award: Chinese Popular Music Special Award: Indonesian Popular Music Zhou Shen – "Shao Guan Wo" Salma Salsabil – "Bunga Hati" Special Award: Korean Popular Music Special Award: Philippine Popular Music Seventeen – "God of Music" Lola Amour – "Raining in Manila" Special Award: Thai Popular Music Special Award: Vietnamese Popular Music Jeff Satur – "Ghost" Tùng Dương – "Tái Sinh" Karaoke of the Year: J-Pop Karaoke of the Year: Enka/Kayōkyoku Mrs. Green Apple – "Lilac" Creepy Nuts – "Bling-Bang-Bang-Born" Mrs. Green Apple – "Que Sera Sera" Omoinotake – "Ikuokukonen" Tuki – "Bansanka" Yoshimi Tendo – "Shōwa Katagi" Kosui Iwamoto – "Taki no Renka" Natsumi Kawano – "Kita no Renjōka" Naoki Sanada – "246" Junko Akimoto – "Hitorigoto" Special Award: Oshi-Katsu Request Artist of the Year Special Award: Radio Best Radio-Break Song Number_i Be:First INI JO1 King & Prince NiziU SB19 Tomorrow X Together V Sakurazaka46 Rikon Densetsu – "Love Is More Mellow"