On September 7 (local time), Rosé took the stage at the UBS Arena in New York, where she received the award for her hit collaboration APT. with Bruno Mars. This marks the first time a K-pop artist has won in the category. BTS was nominated in 2021 with Dynamite but did not take home the trophy, making Rosé’s victory even more symbolic.
Dressed in a dazzling gold gown, Rosé expressed her disbelief and gratitude, saying, “I can’t believe this. First, I want to thank Bruno Mars for believing in me and helping me. This moment is the reward for all our hard work.” Switching to Korean, she added warmly, “Teddy oppa, I won an award. BLACKPINK members, I won an award. Thank you always, and I love you.”
Rosé was one of the night’s most nominated artists, with eight nods across seven categories for APT. including Song of the Year, Video of the Year, Best Pop, and Best Collaboration. Her solo track Toxic Till the End, from her first full-length album Rosie, also earned her a nomination for Best K-Pop. This made her one of the most nominated performers of the night, trailing only Lady Gaga (12), Bruno Mars (11), and Kendrick Lamar (10). Notably, Rosé also became the first K-pop artist to be nominated for Video of the Year.
The historic night didn’t stop there for BLACKPINK. Lisa won her third VMA, and second consecutive Best K-Pop trophy, with Born Again alongside Doja Cat and Raye. Jennie (Like Jennie) and Jisoo (Earthquake) also scored solo nominations, meaning all four members of BLACKPINK earned recognition individually.
Other K-pop contenders included aespa (Whiplash), BTS’s Jimin (Who), and Stray Kids (Chk Chk Boom). Rising global girl group KATSEYE was nominated for Best Group and MTV Push Performance of the Year. In fact, the Best Group category was dominated by K-pop acts including BLACKPINK, aespa, Seventeen, and Stray Kids, once again underscoring the genre’s global influence.
The Video of the Year category, the night’s highest honor, saw Rosé and Bruno Mars’s APT. competing against heavyweight artists like Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, and The Weeknd.
As one of America’s “Big Four” music awards—alongside the Grammys, American Music Awards, and Billboard Music Awards—the VMAs highlighted K-pop’s unstoppable rise into the mainstream. Rosé’s groundbreaking win not only elevated her as a soloist but also proved BLACKPINK’s dominance extends far beyond the group’s activities. Fans celebrated passionately, calling it “an unbelievable moment” and “a stage that rewrote history.”
Sources: Daum
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