6 New K-pop Acts Join the 2025 Korea Grand Music Awards
The 2025 Korea Grand Music Awards (KGMA) just got bigger. On May 23, organizers announced six new performers for this year’s event, to be held November 14–15 at Inspire Arena in Incheon.
Who’s Joining the Lineup?
- NEXZ
- THE BOYZ
- xikers
- WOODZ (Cho Seungyoun)
- CRAVITY
- fromis_9
That’s right—rookies and seasoned idols alike will be sharing the same stage across two explosive nights of performances.
NEXZ and THE BOYZ: Kings in Motion
Fresh off their breakout EP One Bite and a successful solo concert at Japan’s iconic Budokan, NEXZ is riding high. With a Korean comeback already in the works for October, they’ll be hitting KGMA with serious momentum.
Meanwhile, THE BOYZ—now in their ninth year—are proving they’re in their imperial phase. After back-to-back drops of Unexpected and a;effect, the group is in the middle of their fourth world tour, currently lighting up U.S. stages before heading across Asia.
xikers, WOODZ, and CRAVITY Raise the Heat
xikers are on the rise, charting at No. 3 on Billboard’s World Albums chart and No. 4 on the Emerging Artists chart with their fifth mini album HOUSE OF TRICKY: SPUR. They just wrapped a successful tour stop in the U.S. and Japan and aren’t slowing down anytime soon.
WOODZ (aka Cho Seungyoun) is making headlines for all the right reasons. During military service, his self-composed track Drowning climbed back up the charts, scoring No.1 on both streaming platforms and music shows. Since his July discharge, he’s been performing at festivals and is set to drop his digital single I’ll Never Love Again on May 24.
CRAVITY has also been showing their bold side. Their June release Dare to Crave took a stylistic leap, and their current fan concert tour has proven they’ve got the live performance chops to match. Their recent win on Road to Kingdom: ACE OF ACE only solidifies their standout status.
fromis_9: Summer Queens Still Reign
Holding down the girl group glory is fromis_9. With LIKE YOU BETTER turning heads this summer, they’ve been busy owning campus festivals and live gigs, all while embarking on their first world tour.
The Full Picture: KGMA 2025’s Massive Scale
And that’s not all. Past lineup announcements confirmed big names like Stray Kids, IVE, ATEEZ, and KISS OF LIFE, alongside rising rookies including BOYNEXTDOOR, MEOVV, and Kick Flip. Even trot legends and bands like Jang Minho and LUCY are joining the party.
Expect to see a triple-threat MC lineup too—actress Nam Ji-hyun will host both nights, joined separately by Irene of Red Velvet and NATTY from KISS OF LIFE.
What’s Next?
Organizers promised a “special lineup reveal” in the coming weeks. Given what we’ve seen so far, we’re probably in for some wildcard surprises.
Which performance are you most excited to see at 2025 KGMA? Let the comeback theories and stage predictions begin.
