NewJeans and BLACKPINK in Tight Race for Netizen Awards Best Group

Quiet but Fierce: The Final Push of the Netizen Awards

May 29, 2025 — While all seems calm on the surface, the May 2025 Netizen Awards are anything but quiet. It’s a time of intense fan loyalty and carefully plotted strategies—an eerie silence that hides a flurry of activity.

This stage of the competition has been dubbed the “Operation Under Silence” phase. Online communities remain calm, and stages are quiet, but underneath? Voters are going full throttle. Rather than shaking up the entire chart, many fans are channeling their voting power into key categories, eyeing single-digit rankings and tight margins of mere hundreds of votes.

Two contenders drawing particular attention in the Best Group category are NewJeans, ranked at 12th, and BLACKPINK, close behind in 13th. With both powerhouse K-pop girl groups stuck in mid-tier positions, fans are curious to see if either can pull off a last-minute leap.

Voting Tactics: Day Blitzes and Night Attacks

Fans aren’t just voting—they’re strategizing. From concentrated all-day vote dumps to “gap-time power attacks” aimed at less active hours, every click is tactically timed. It’s a battlefield of algorithms and schedules, all in the name of idol victory.

Who’s Leading in Each Category?

As of 12:31 a.m. on May 29, here are the current leaders across major categories:

• Male Artist: 1. Hwang Youngwoong / 2. Park Jihyun / 3. Son Taejin
• Female Artist: 1. Jung Seojoo / 2. Bin Yeseo / 3. Eun Gaeun
• Album of the Year: 1. Hwang Youngwoong – “On Your Side”
• Best Group: 1. Fortena / 2. Forte di Quattro / 3. Liberante
• Neo Star: 1. Kim Jihoon (Liberante)
• Male Actor: 1. Byun Wooseok
• Female Actor: 1. Kim Hyeyoon
• Top Movie: 1. “The Girl on a Bulldozer”
• Drama of the Year: 1. U+ Mobile TV’s “Friendly Competition”
• Legendary K-drama: 1. tvN’s “Secret Royal Inspector & Joy”

• Superstar Award: 1. Cho Yongpil / 2. Kim Wansun / 3. Kim Kyungho
• Top Actor Award: 1. Jung Youngjoo
• Sports Award: 1. Heo Woong / 2. An Seyoung / 3. Son Heungmin
• KBO Favorite Team: 1. Lotte Giants
• Celebrity of the Year: 1. Giant PengTV (Pengsoo)
• TV Personality: 1. Son Taejin / 2. Kian84 / 3. Yoo Jaesuk

• Educational Program: 1. TV Chosun’s “Trot All-Star Wednesday Night”
• Korean Company: 1. Lotte / 2. Samsung Electronics / 3. Hyundai Motors
• CEO of the Year: 1. Shin Dongbin / 2. Lee Jaeyong
• Fanbook Favorite: 1. Hwang Youngwoong
• CF Model: 1. Hwang Youngwoong
• Netizen Grand Prix: 1. Hwang Youngwoong

The Final Countdown

With only days left, every vote could tip the balance. Whether it’s through clever voting strategies or sheer fan dedication, the May Netizen Awards are shaping up for a dramatic finale. For NewJeans and BLACKPINK, the spotlight might be quiet, but the fan war is roaring behind the scenes.