The 2025 KGMA Expands Its Star Lineup—Here’s Who’s In
The Korea Grand Music Awards (KGMA) just dropped the fifth round of its artist lineup for the 2025 edition—and it’s stacked. The event will unfold over November 14 and 15 at Inspire Arena in Incheon, bringing together major K-pop names and rising groups across two days of pure fan frenzy.
Veterans and Breakout Stars Sharing the Stage
BTOB, known for their powerful vocals and long-lasting appeal since debuting in 2012, are making their return to the award stage. Joining them is Suho, the soft-spoken yet dynamic leader of EXO, who’s established his own sound through four solo albums. His latest mini-album, Who Are You?, topped iTunes charts in over 20 regions, proving his global appeal runs deep.
Newcomer buzz is coming from IDID, a seven-member rookie group under Starship Entertainment born from the “Debut’s Plan” project. They wasted no time making an impact—their debut track snagged a music show win just 12 days after release. That’s not luck; that’s star quality.
UNIS and P1Harmony Go Global
UNIS, last year’s KGMA Rookie of the Year and Trend of the Year double winners, are back for an encore. With stops in Korea and Japan for their first fan concert tour—not to mention their Japanese digital debut single “Moshi Moshi♡”—this girl group is going global fast.
Also returning to the KGMA stage is P1Harmony, who had a killer year with three consecutive Billboard 200 entries. They’ve been on a global grind with their world tour and their English-language album X, clocking major international momentum.
More Names Dropping, More Stages Heating Up
Before today’s drop, the KGMA had already announced a massive artist list including Stray Kids, IVE, ATEEZ, THE BOYZ, Red Velvet’s Irene, and many more. In total, 32 teams will be lighting up Incheon this fall.
Hosting duties? Actress Nam Jihyun is returning as MC for the second year, this time joined by Red Velvet’s Irene on the 14th and KISS OF LIFE’s NATTY on the 15th.
Why Fans Can’t Miss 2025 KGMA
With a tight mix of industry legends and rookies fresh out the gate, the 2025 KGMA is shaping up to be one of the must-watch events of the K-pop calendar. Whether you stan 3rd-gen vocal kings like BTOB or are eyeing future trendsetters like IDID and UNIS, the lineup guarantees something for every fandom.
28 acts were exciting. 32? It’s full-on concert chaos (in the best way possible). We wouldn’t be surprised if ticket servers melt down when they go live.
