The promising young artists who will lead the future of KPOP are gathering for the Melon Music Awards, which celebrate artists’ performances throughout the year based on Melon data and fan votes.
The music platform Melon of KAKAO ENTERTAINMENT announced that NCT WISH, ILLIT, HEARTS2HEARTS, KIIIKIII, ALLDAY PROJECT, and IDID will participate in the second wave of programming for “THE 17TH MELON MUSIC AWARDS, MMA2025 (2025 MELON MUSIC AWARDS),” which will be held on December 20 at the Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome.
NCT WISH, who exploded this year with its own “COLOR,” will light up the MMA 2025 stage. Its song “Color” reached first place on the Melon HOT100 30 days after release, confirming its immense popularity. NCT WISH will impress the audience with the energy of a group at the peak of its glory.
ILLIT, who won the “Rookie of the Year” title at MMA 2024 with their first single “Magnetic,” ranked 1st on the Melon TOP100 and 8th on the annual chart, will return to meet the MMA2025 audience. This year, their new song “Do the dance” entered the TOP100, confirming expectations for this reliable and talented artist.
The young groups HEARTS2HEARTS and KIIIKIII will also appear at MMA 2025.
Debuting in the symbolic year of SM ENTERTAINMENT’s 30th anniversary, HEARTS2HEARTS captivated international fans with three distinct albums, “The chase,” “Style,” and “Focus,” establishing themselves as an essential new talent.
KIIIKIII, even before its official debut, made a splash with bold promotions and remarkable aesthetic content. Their pre-single “I DO ME” reached 3rd place on the HOT100 (after 30 days), while “Dancing alone” strengthened the group’s presence by capturing their unique essence.
The mixed group ALLDAY PROJECT, who entered the KPOP scene like a comet last June, will also participate. Their single “FAMOUS” reached first place on the TOP100 in just three days after release, setting a record since the chart revision in 2021 for a debut single.
The group IDID, born from STARSHIP ENTERTAINMENT’s ambitious project “Debut’s Plan,” won first place on a music program with “제멋대로 찬란하게” only 12 days after debut. The group will participate in MMA 2025 just three months after debut, exciting international K-POP fans.
This edition of MMA 2025, sponsored by KAKAO BANK, will carry the main slogan “Play The Moment,” symbolizing capturing and sharing all moments and stories through music.
Ticketing for MMA 2025 will be through Melon Ticket. Pre-sales for Melon subscribers of at least one year (MVIP, VIP, GOLD) will take place on November 24 from 20:00 to 23:59 KST, while the second pre-sale, open to all Melon subscribers, begins on November 27 at 20:00 KST and will include remaining and canceled seats from the first pre-sale. Each Melon account can reserve up to two tickets per phase. Details of the new reservation rules are available on Melon Ticket.
Various preliminary events, such as “MMA Chodaewang” to win tickets to attend the show, are currently ongoing on Melon. Information about the TOP10 and category voting will be gradually published on the official MMA2025 page on Melon.
Journalist: Shawn
Translator: Shawn
Source: Melon
