K-pop girl group ILLIT has cemented their international reputation by winning ‘Best New Artist (K-pop)’ at the prestigious 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles. This marks a significant milestone for the group, who debuted just a year ago.
The iHeartRadio Music Awards, hosted by the American online radio platform iHeartRadio, honors top artists and most-streamed songs of the year. This win is ILLIT’s first at the event and highlights their rapid ascent in the global music scene.
Debuting in March 2024, ILLIT made an immediate impact with their debut single ‘Magnetic,’ which charted on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK’s Official Singles Top 100—an unprecedented achievement for a rookie K-pop act. Their success extended to their albums, with ‘SUPER REAL ME’ and ‘I’LL LIKE YOU’ both securing spots on the Billboard 200, making them the only 2024 K-pop debutants with two Billboard-charting albums.
ILLIT’s achievements have led to numerous accolades. In addition to the iHeartRadio award, they have secured a total of 13 trophies across Korea, the U.S., and Japan, including seven Best New Artist wins. They were also nominated for prestigious awards like the MTV EMA and the 2024 Billboard Music Awards, solidifying their reputation as the leading 5th-generation girl group.
Beyond their music success, ILLIT recently released ‘Almond Chocolate,’ the theme song for the movie ‘I Don’t Like You Just for Your Face.’ The track has performed well on Japanese music charts and contributed to the film’s popularity. Their Korean-language special performance of the song has also received enthusiastic fan support.
With their global influence growing, ILLIT is setting new milestones for K-pop’s future. Fans eagerly anticipate their next musical and performance ventures.
