The 33rd Hanteo Music Awards (HMA) 2025 took over the KSPO Dome in Seoul on February 15, bringing together some of the biggest names in K-Pop for a night of performances and trophies. But while groups like ATEEZ, Stray Kids, ENHYPEN, and G-Dragon walked away with the night’s most prestigious honors, the celebration quickly got overshadowed by a wave of criticism online.
Fans watching at home pointed out one major detail: not a single girl group or female soloist won a Daesang (grand prize) this year. With the four biggest awards of the night going to male artists, many took to social media to voice their disappointment, with some even questioning the fairness of the voting and judging process.
All-Male Daesang Lineup Sparks Debate
The Hanteo Music Awards hands out four Daesang categories each year, and for 2025, every single one went to a male act. ATEEZ took home Best Artist, Stray Kids won Best Album for KARMA, G-Dragon claimed Best Song for “Home Sweet Home (Featuring Taeyang and Daesung),” and ENHYPEN received Best Performance .
While fans of these groups celebrated their success, others couldn’t help but notice that despite strong years from acts like aespa, IU, LE SSERAFIM, and IVE, none of them made it into the Daesang lineup. Online forums and social media platforms quickly filled with mixed reactions.
“I was really happy to see ATEEZ and Stray Kids get recognized, but looking at the whole list… really? No female artist for any of the four grand prizes?” one fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Another commenter on a popular K-Pop forum said, “Is this a joke? How do you have a year with so many successful girl groups and then give all the Daesangs to boy groups?”
More Than Just the Grand Prizes
It wasn’t just the Daesangs that raised eyebrows. When looking at the full list of winners, the gender gap becomes even more noticeable across several major categories .
aespa was the only girl group to make it into the Artist of the Year (Bonsang) lineup, which included ten acts. The other nine spots went to ATEEZ, BOYNEXTDOOR, ENHYPEN, G-Dragon, Lee Chan Won, NCT WISH, PLAVE, SEVENTEEN, and Stray Kids .
In the global categories, Stray Kids dominated by winning Best Continent Artist for North America, South America, Europe, and Africa, while TXT won for Asia and Oceania . BTS took the Global Popular Artist award, continuing their streak even during their group hiatus .
The Special Awards did see some female winners. Lee Young Ji won the Hip-Hop category, and Hearts2Hearts shared Rookie of the Year with CORTIS . But for many fans, these wins felt like small consolations compared to the major prizes.
How Hanteo Determines Its Winners
To understand the frustration, it helps to know how HMA winners are chosen. According to the awards’ criteria, winners are decided through a combination of Hanteo’s global sales data, fan voting, and judges’ evaluations .
Hanteo Chart is known as one of the most reliable real-time album sales trackers in the K-Pop industry. The company started in 1993 and has built a reputation for compiling accurate sales data from stores across South Korea and globally . The first in-person Hanteo Music Awards happened in 2023 to celebrate the company’s 30th anniversary .
This year, the ceremony was hosted by Girls’ Generation’s Tiffany Young and trot singer Lee Chan Won. The event featured nearly two dozen performers, including Super Junior’s Kyuhyun, Forestella, LUCY, ARTMS, Lee Young Ji, tripleS, 8TURN, and rookie group Hearts2Hearts .
Fans Defend the Winners While Questioning the System
Not everyone agreed with the criticism. Supporters of the winning groups pointed out that ATEEZ, Stray Kids, and ENHYPEN all had massive years in terms of album sales and global touring.
“ATEEZ just conquered the ‘7-year curse’ and renewed their contracts, and people are mad they won Artist of the Year?” one fan posted. “They worked hard for this. Let them have their moment” .
During their acceptance speech for the Grand Prize, ATEEZ made sure to thank their fandom, ATINY.
“Thank you to the Hanteo Music Awards officials for giving us this huge award following last year. We wrapped up our comeback activities today. If it weren’t for ATINY, we couldn’t have grown this much. We made our first comeback after renewing our contracts for the 7th year. We don’t think it matters how much time it takes. We will definitely stay together with ATEEZ and ATINY” .
Stray Kids also had a dominant night, winning multiple continent awards in addition to their Best Album Daesang. The group’s global fanbase, STAY, helped them sweep categories in North America, South America, Europe, and Africa .
But even some fans who love these groups admitted the overall results felt unbalanced. “I’m a STAY and an ATINY, and I’m happy for them,” one user commented. “But I also ult aespa and IVE, and it stings to see them completely shut out of the Daesangs. Both things can be true at once.”
Looking at the Numbers
The debate raises a larger question about award show criteria and gender representation in K-Pop. While boy groups tend to dominate physical album sales, girl groups have seen explosive growth in digital streaming and broader public recognition.
aespa, for example, had a strong 2025 with multiple hits and sold-out tours. LE SSERAFIM and IVE also maintained their positions as top-tier acts with consistent chart performance. Yet none of them made it into the Daesang conversation at HMA 2025.
Some fans pointed out that the reliance on Hanteo’s sales data might naturally favor boy groups, who traditionally have larger and more organized fanbases for bulk album buying. Girl groups, on the other hand, often perform better on digital charts and with the general public — metrics that might carry less weight in HMA’s calculation.
Other Moments from the Night
While the Daesang debate dominated online conversations, the ceremony had its share of memorable moments. Lee Young Ji delivered what attendees called a standout performance, heating up the dome with a medley of her hits including “DNA Remix,” “Blue Check,” and “I Am Lee Young Ji” . Upon receiving her Hip-Hop Special Award, she said,
“I am grateful to start the Year of the Red Horse (2026) so happily. As someone who truly loves hip-hop, this award is very meaningful” .
Band LUCY also made history by winning the Band Special Award for the third time, following wins in 2022 and 2023. The group performed “EIO” from their mini 7th album “Seon,” showcasing their signature blend of rock with electric violin .
“We are deeply grateful for this wonderful award at such a precious occasion. This award is a gift from our fans. We will continue to work harder” .
LUCY announced they will make a full-group comeback in May with member Shin Kwang-il, who is currently serving in the military, joining the lineup. They also revealed plans for a solo concert at the KSPO Dome .
BTOB’s Changsub won Best of Ballad, and veteran artist Yoon Jong Shin received the 30th Anniversary Legend of the Age award . PENTAGON was honored as the 10th Anniversary Influential Artist, and Super Junior’s Kyuhyun took home the 20th Anniversary Wannabe Icon award .
Rookie Winners Show Promise
The Rookie of the Year award went to two acts: Hearts2Hearts and CORTIS . Both groups represent the new generation of K-Pop, with Hearts2Hearts making waves as a fresh girl group and CORTIS gaining attention for their unique sound.
Other rising acts recognized during the ceremony included ARTMS and EVNNE as Emerging Artists, while tripleS, Billlie, and xikers received the Next Wave award . The Blooming Star award went to NOWZ, idntt, and 8TURN .
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The Conversation Continues
As the dust settles on the 33rd Hanteo Music Awards, the discussion about this year’s winners isn’t going away anytime soon. Award shows in K-Pop always spark passionate debates among fans, and HMA 2025 is no exception.
For some fans, the all-male Daesang lineup reflects a larger issue in how the industry measures success. For others, it’s simply a matter of which artists had the strongest numbers according to the awards’ specific criteria. Either way, the conversation highlights just how invested K-Pop fans are in seeing their favorite artists — regardless of gender — get the recognition they believe they deserve.
With the ceremony now wrapped, attention turns to the next round of year-end awards and whether they’ll tell a different story. For now, fans of girl groups and female soloists are left wondering when the Daesang stage will include more diverse faces.
For more updates on K-Pop awards, comeback announcements, and industry news, keep checking VvipTimes for the latest from the world of entertainment.
