G-DRAGON Wins Big at 2025 MAMA with Four Major Awards Amid Live Performance Controversy
At the 2025 MAMA AWARDS, G-DRAGON received both thunderous applause and intense scrutiny. On the second night of the ceremony at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Stadium, he returned to the awards show stage with a medley of “DRAMA”, “Heartbreaker” and “Untitled, 2014”, while sweeping multiple trophies including VISA Artist of the Year and effectively securing four major wins. In his acceptance speech, he thanked VIPs and hinted at BIGBANG’s upcoming 20th anniversary. Yet the highly anticipated comeback performance quickly became a flashpoint online, as viewers and Korean media questioned the heavy reliance on AR backing tracks and what they described as uneven live vocals.
According to the official winners list and posts on MAMA’s Instagram, G-DRAGON walked away with VISA Artist of the Year, the main ‘Artist of the Year’ trophy, Best Male Artist, Best Dance Performance – Male Solo, and a spot in the Fan’s Choice Top 10, making him one of the biggest winners of 2025 MAMA. When Mnet shared his award photo with the caption “HEAR MY ROAR, UH-HEUNG” and #MAMAAWARDS hashtags, the comments section filled with congratulations in Korean and English, with many fans framing the moment as a symbolic return to the center of a major awards show stage for the BIGBANG leader.
Korean outlets such as Ilgan Sports, OSEN, StarNews, Herald POP and Sports Today all described the stage as another case of ‘live performance controversy’. Their reports noted that the set was heavily built around AR tracks containing pre-recorded vocals and backing, especially in the high-note and chorus sections, with relatively little of G-DRAGON’s raw mic captured in the broadcast mix. During several choreography-heavy segments, he appeared to focus on performance rather than singing, with the track carrying most of the lines. StarNews highlighted that in the latter half of “Untitled”, he removed his in-ear monitors, stared into the crowd and wiped away sweat, a stark contrast to the tightly controlled live image he was once known for.
Viewer reactions during and after the live broadcast included comments such as “Is this really the G-DRAGON I know?”, “He barely sang live” and “He sounds strained”, with some recalling recent stages where similar concerns about his vocal condition had already surfaced. At the same time, a portion of fans offered a more sympathetic reading, pointing to his acceptance speech where he described the day as ‘both happy and sad’ and suggesting that his throat or overall physical condition may not have been ideal, prompting heavier use of AR to protect his voice. From that perspective, they argued, the fact that he still completed the full set and schedule was itself a sign of effort.
The controversy reached its peak after the show, when MAMA’s official account uploaded his performance as a Reels clip. Korean media reported that G-DRAGON later commented on the post with a thumbs-down emoji and the slang term ‘붐따’—derived from ‘boom down’ and commonly used online to signal disapproval—followed by an ellipsis. Outlets largely interpreted this as a rare instance of ‘self-critique’, suggesting he was openly acknowledging disappointment in his own stage. OSEN noted that this marked at least the third time in a year that his live vocals had become a hot topic, but the first where he directly reflected that sentiment back to the public.
Outside the live-singing debate, G-DRAGON also made headlines for his donation to support recovery efforts following a major apartment fire in Hong Kong. Korean reports stated that he pledged 1 million HKD—around 130,000 USD—to the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, aimed at reconstruction and psychological care for affected residents. Paired with images of him wearing a black ribbon and joining fellow artists in a moment of silence at the MAMA ceremony, the donation has been framed as part of his ongoing philanthropic activity. As discourse around his vocal performance intensifies, some supporters have urged a more holistic view, arguing that assessments of a long-running artist should consider not only on-stage execution but also creative work and contributions beyond music.
For long-time followers of G-DRAGON, the 2025 MAMA AWARDS highlighted two contrasting truths: he remains influential enough to dominate an awards night with four major trophies, yet he is also under pressure to restore the level of live conviction that once defined his reputation. How he recalibrates future stages—through set design, vocal preparation and show structure—whether on tour or at other festivals, will be closely watched by fans and industry observers alike. What is clear is that the evening left behind more than polished award photos and hundreds of thousands of likes on Instagram; it sparked a public conversation about performance standards for top-tier K-pop artists and the gap between long-held expectations and present-day reality, a conversation that will likely follow him onto every stage he steps on next.
[KStarLoud Deep Dive] The discourse around G-DRAGON’s 2025 MAMA stage reflects a broader shift in K-pop’s post-fourth-gen landscape, where the standard for “live performance” is rapidly changing. Large award shows increasingly prioritize cinematic staging, AR layers, and director-driven effects—formats optimized for short-form social media circulation rather than pure vocal execution. For G-DRAGON, however, the weight of legacy complicates this shift: he is historically remembered as an artist who dominated with charisma and live conviction, not merely visual spectacle. This contrast is why his thumbs-down and “붐따…” comment resonated so strongly—because it acknowledged a gap between past image and present performance. If he manages to deliver a more vocally assertive stage in upcoming festivals or concert dates, it could not only reset public expectations but also help steer K-pop back toward a live-forward era in 2026 and beyond.