The Melon Music Awards 2025 (MMA2025), which celebrates artists’ achievements over the past year through Melon’s data and global fan voting, is set to feature some of the hottest K-pop acts leading the domestic and international scene.



Kakao Entertainment’s music platform Melon announced the first lineup for “The 17th Melon Music Awards (MMA2025)”, which will take place on Saturday, December 20 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. The lineup includes IVE, PLAVE, BOYNEXTDOOR, and RIIZE — four groups representing the next wave of K-pop excellence.



Leading 4th-generation girl group IVE, known for combining strong musicality and mass appeal, topped Melon’s monthly chart in February with “REBEL HEART.” They continued their success with hits like “ATTITUDE” and “XOXZ,” reaffirming the ongoing “IVE Syndrome” since debut. The group is set to meet fans around the world through their second world tour, “SHOW WHAT I AM,” and is expected to once again showcase their immense popularity and global growth with a dazzling stage at MMA2025.



PLAVE, who opened a new chapter in virtual idol history, continues to shine this year as well. Their third mini album “Caligo Pt.1,” released in February, became the first album in Melon Hall of Fame history to surpass 10 million streams within 24 hours. Its title track “Dash” recorded 185 million plays, becoming Melon’s most-streamed song of the first half of 2025. Their Japanese album “かくれんぼ (Hide and Seek)”, released in June, achieved ‘Millions Album’ status (over 1 million streams within 24 hours), the first-ever for a Japanese-language release. Their September digital single “숨바꼭질 (Hide and Seek)” also earned the same title. After proving their presence at MMA2024 by winning both “TOP10” and “Millions TOP10”, PLAVE has confirmed their appearance for the second consecutive year, raising anticipation.



BOYNEXTDOOR has grown into a strong digital chart contender by taking an active part in the creative process for every album, expanding both musical depth and relatability. They kicked off the year with the MZ-generation breakup anthem “I LOVE YOU (Only for Today)”, which received great love. With the release of their mini albums “No Genre” and “The Action,” they achieved their best results yet on Melon, continuing their remarkable momentum. After winning “Best Performance (Male)” at MMA2024, BOYNEXTDOOR is expected to captivate audiences once again this year with an even more powerful stage.


Written by Kim Su Jin
Translated by Lee So Yun