aespa Win Triple Crown at 2025 MAMA and Announce Second Full Album Coming in 2026
K-pop girl group aespa (Karina, Winter, Giselle and Ningning) became one of the main highlights of the 2025 MAMA AWARDS held at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Stadium on November 29. With their performance of ‘Whiplash’, the group took home Best Choreography, Best Dance Performance Female Group and Best Female Group, securing a coveted triple crown at one of K-pop’s most influential year-end award shows.
The second night of the 2025 MAMA AWARDS served as the Hong Kong ‘Chapter 2’. Following a major local fire incident, the event scaled back red carpet and some performances, emphasizing music’s role in offering comfort and hope. Within this backdrop, aespa’s tight live stages and consistent chart and sales performance positioned them as one of the ceremony’s biggest winners in the girl-group categories.
Building on the momentum of last year’s hits, aespa spent 2025 promoting ‘Whiplash’ alongside releases such as ‘Dirty Work’ and ‘Rich Man’. Their performance-driven concept, strong storyline and demanding choreography translated into solid chart runs and music-show success. Korean outlets highlighted ‘Whiplash’ as a ‘highly complete group performance’, noting that it played a central role in the group’s triple-crown run.
Accepting the Best Female Group trophy, leader Karina thanked fans and staff, saying that receiving such an award around their 5th anniversary felt like a special gift. She then revealed, “We will be releasing a full album next year. We’re working hard on it, so please look forward to it and give it lots of love.” Korean media interpreted this as a clear signal that aespa are preparing their second full-length album for 2026.
In their remarks, the members reflected on five years together. Giselle expressed gratitude for fans’ long-term support, while Ningning commented that, although they are still young, the awards made them feel there are even more opportunities to grow. Their words further fueled expectations that the upcoming full album will mark a major turning point in aespa’s discography.
Beyond aespa’s triple crown, the ceremony also honored G-DRAGON with Visa Artist of the Year and Stray Kids with Album of the Year, while ‘K-pop Demon Hunters’ received the Music Visionary of the Year and OST awards. The winners list once again highlighted the impact of 4th-generation and emerging groups on the global K-pop scene. With three trophies in hand and a new full album on the horizon, aespa have further solidified their position as a leading girl group.
[KStarLoud Deep Dive] The nature of aespa’s triple crown is particularly telling: Best Choreography and Best Dance Performance recognize execution and stagecraft, while Best Female Group reflects a broader judgment of overall impact. Taken together, the three trophies signal that aespa are no longer positioned merely as an experimental ‘metaverse concept’ act, but as a performance powerhouse whose stages can anchor major award shows. From SM Entertainment’s perspective, announcing a new full album directly on the MAMA stage turns this win into a launchpad for 2026, rather than just a capstone for 2025. If the second full album successfully builds on the performance reputation established by ‘Whiplash’—with upgraded lore, tighter musical direction and a robust global tour plan—aespa are poised to stand shoulder to shoulder with peers like NewJeans, IVE and LE SSERAFIM in the fight for true 4th-gen top-tier status.