Rosé MTV VMA 2025: BLACKPINK Star Sets K-Pop Record with 8 Nominations

BLACKPINK's Rosé has shattered K-pop records at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, landing eight nominations and surpassing BTS's previous milestone of seven nominations from 2021.

The nominations were announced Tuesday, with Rosé expressing her shock on Instagram Stories: "I am beyond shocked and I just don't know what to say. I'm absolutely speechless!"

Rosé's collaboration with Bruno Mars, "APT.," earned nominations in seven categories: Video of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Collaboration, Best Pop, Best Direction, Best Art Direction, and Best Visual Effects. The track has become a global phenomenon, establishing Rosé as the first K-pop star to receive a Video of the Year nomination.

Her eighth nomination comes from "toxic till the end" in the Best K-pop category.

Lady Gaga leads all artists with 12 nominations, followed by Bruno Mars (11), Kendrick Lamar (10), then Rosé and Sabrina Carpenter tied at eight each. This places the BLACKPINK member among 2025's most recognized artists globally.

In Video of the Year, "APT." competes against Ariana Grande's "Brighter Days Ahead," Billie Eilish's "Birds of a Feather," Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us," Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars' "Die With A Smile," Sabrina Carpenter's "Manchild," and The Weeknd and Playboi Carti's "Timeless."

For the first time in MTV VMA history, all members of the same group are nominated in one category. The Best K-pop category features all four BLACKPINK members: Jennie ("like JENNIE"), Jisoo ("earthquake"), Lisa ("Born Again"), and Rosé ("toxic till the end").

Other Best K-pop nominees include BTS's Jimin ("Who"), aespa ("Whiplash"), and Stray Kids ("Chk Chk Boom").

BTS previously held the K-pop VMA record with seven nominations in 2021, winning three awards that year. Rosé's eight nominations officially establish a new benchmark for K-pop artists at the ceremony.

The 2025 MTV VMAs will air September 7 at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, broadcasting live on CBS for the first time, with simultaneous coverage on MTV and streaming on Paramount+. Fan voting runs until September 5 at 6 p.m. ET, except for Best New Artist which continues during the show.

The ceremony represents a major milestone for K-pop's mainstream acceptance, with Rosé's record-breaking nominations highlighting the genre's growing influence on global music culture.

The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards ceremony takes place September 7, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, MTV, and Paramount+.