IVE Sweep 4 Trophies at 2025 KGMA, Securing the ‘Grand Song’ Daesang and Capping a Record-Breaking Year
IVE have cemented a major milestone at the 2025 Korea Grand Music Awards (2025 KGMA), emerging as four-time winners. On the second day of the ceremony, billed as “Music Day” and held at Inspire Arena on Yeongjongdo, Incheon, the group claimed one of the night’s top honors, the “2025 Grand Song” Daesang, while also adding the pre-announced titles of “Best Global Kpop Star,” “Best Music 10,” and “ENA K-POP Artist,” making them the biggest girl group winners of the evening.
The 2025 KGMA is hosted by Ilgan Sports (Edaily M) in collaboration with the KGMA organizing committee and several partners, with support from the Incheon Metropolitan City and the Incheon Tourism Organization. The awards are determined based on data from Hanteo Chart, Genie Music, FLO, and Bugs, combined with expert evaluation, spotlighting K-pop artists and releases that have enjoyed significant domestic and global impact over the past year and positioning the event as one of Korea’s representative year-end music festivals.
At this year’s KGMA, the “Grand Song” Daesang recognizes a song and artist that combine strong public appeal with outstanding musical achievement over the year. IVE’s string of hits—pre-release track “REBEL HEART” and title track “ATTITUDE” from their third mini album, followed by “XOXZ” from their fourth mini album—generated sustained buzz across streaming platforms and social media, ultimately propelling them to the “2025 Grand Song” crown.
In their acceptance speech, the members described the Daesang as a symbolic way to wrap up the year. “There are only a month or two left in 2025, and this award feels like a chance to look back on every moment we’ve experienced,” they shared. “We try to pour our sincerity into every song and album, and seeing that sincerity reach so many people makes us incredibly happy.” They thanked the judges and organizers, dedicating the honor to their fandom, DIVE: “Most of all, we want to say thank you to DIVE for always being by our side,” promising to repay that support with even better music and performances.
From a metrics standpoint, IVE’s four trophies were the result of consistent performance rather than a one-off surge. “REBEL HEART” achieved a Perfect All Kill (PAK) on Korea’s major digital charts, while “ATTITUDE” and “XOXZ” maintained strong positions on domestic rankings. Their fourth mini album, released in August, pushed the group to No. 1 on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart and No. 4 on the World Albums chart, underscoring both their rapid global rise and their tangible sales power—factors that clearly underpinned their wins in the Best Global Kpop Star and Best Music 10 categories at the KGMA.
On stage, IVE delivered a tightly curated medley of their biggest hits of the year. Opening with “XOXZ” in sleek, silver-toned tech-inspired styling, they set a cool, futuristic tone. The group then transitioned into “GOTCHA (Baddest Eros),” a performance previously reserved for their concerts, captivating the arena with its intense beat and demanding choreography. They closed with the PAK-achieving “REBEL HEART,” building emotion and power to a climactic finish as the audience joined in a massive sing-along, reinforcing the weight and presence expected of a Daesang-winning act.
The ceremony also highlighted intense competition among top groups. Stray Kids emerged as five-time winners, including the “2025 Grand Record” Daesang, while IVE’s four trophies created a defining image of this year’s awards season. The event was broadcast via KT ENA and streamed live globally—excluding Japan and China—through TikTok Live, with Hulu Japan handling the live coverage in Japan, enabling fans worldwide to experience the atmosphere in real time.
Riding the momentum from the KGMA, IVE have also launched their second world tour, “SHOW WHAT I AM,” which kicked off at Seoul’s KSPO DOME. The tour will continue across cities in Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania, bringing the group face-to-face with DIVE around the world. With a “2025 KGMA Grand Song Daesang + four-crown sweep” now added to their résumé, expectations are high that IVE will spark another wave of the so-called “IVE Syndrome” in both album performance and touring power across global markets.