K-World Dream Awards 2025 Winners: Stray Kids Sweeps Four Trophies at Seoul's Biggest K-Pop Festival
Seoul festival showcases global K-pop dominance as fan voting delivers decisive victories
Seoul's biggest K-pop celebration ended with Stray Kids claiming four major awards at the 2025 K-World Dream Awards on Thursday, cementing their status as the year's most awarded group at the prestigious ceremony.
Stray Kids Claims Victory in Fan-Driven Competition
The eight-member group dominated the August 21 ceremony at Jamsil Indoor Stadium, winning the K-World Dream Grand Prize, K-World Class Award, Group Popularity Award, and Best Artist Award. Their popularity victory was particularly impressive, with fans casting over 1.6 billion votes to secure first place.
Stray Kids closed the night with explosive performances of "Chk Chk Boom" and "Walking on Water," delivering the high-energy finale that has become their trademark.
Triple Winners Share Second Place
Three groups tied for second place with three awards each. IVE secured the Grand Prize, K-World Class Award, and Best Artist Award, while LE SSERAFIM took home the Grand Prize, K-World Class Award, and Journalist Pick Artist Award. NCT WISH rounded out the triple winners with the Grand Prize, Best Performance Award, and Journalist Pick Artist Award.
Rising Stars and Industry Veterans Honored
Four rookie groups claimed Super Rookie Awards: AHOF, Hearts2Hearts, KiiiKiii, and KickFlip, representing the next generation of K-pop talent. TOMORROW X TOGETHER received the Global Music Artist Award, recognizing their international impact.
Paul Kim and BTOB shared the Listener's Choice Award, while Kang Daniel won the All-Rounder Musician Award. The ceremony also honored established artists including G-DRAGON, IU, DAY6, and BLACKPINK's Rosé with Best Support Awards.
Star-Studded Performance Lineup
The performance roster featured major acts including TXT, LE SSERAFIM, IVE, CRAVITY, FIFTY FIFTY, and rising groups like ILLIT, NEWBEAT, and NCT WISH. Solo artists added variety with stages from Kang Daniel, Park Seo Jin, and Paul Kim.
Veteran hosts Jun Hyun-moo and Jang Do-yeon returned for their third consecutive year, guiding the ceremony alongside celebrity presenters including actor Byeon Woo-seok, Ryu Kyung-soo, Mun Ka-young, Jung Yu-mi, and Shin Ji-yeon.
Nine Years of K-Pop Recognition
The awards began in 2017 as the Soribada Best K-Music Awards before evolving through various rebrandings. This year's ceremony marks nine years of celebrating Korean music excellence.
International fans participated through HelloLive streaming, with additional Japanese access via U-NEXT. Fan voting played a crucial role, with popularity awards determined entirely by global audience participation.
Complete 2025 Winners
Major Categories:
- Best Artist Award: Stray Kids, IVE
- Journalist Pick Artist: NCT WISH, LE SSERAFIM
- K-World Class Award: TOMORROW X TOGETHER, LE SSERAFIM, Stray Kids, IVE
- Grand Prize (Bonsang): QWER, tripleS, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, ILLIT, NCT WISH, LE SSERAFIM, IVE, Stray Kids
Performance & Technical:
- Best Performance: CRAVITY, NCT WISH, FIFTY FIFTY
- Best Music Video: ILLIT, tripleS, YOUNG POSSE
- Best Band Artist: Xdinary Heroes, LUCY
- Best Album: SEVENTEEN, NCT DREAM, ENHYPEN, aespa
Popularity Awards:
- Group Popularity: Stray Kids
- Solo Popularity: Park Ji-hyun, IVE's Jang Wonyoung
Special Recognition:
- Global Music Artist: TOMORROW X TOGETHER
- All-Rounder Musician: Kang Daniel
- Listener's Choice: Paul Kim, BTOB
- Super Rookie: AHOF, KickFlip, KiiiKiii, Hearts2Hearts
- New Vision: NEWBEAT, FIFTY FIFTY, Close Your Eyes
- Best OST: K-Pop Demon Hunters' "Golden"
The ceremony reinforced Seoul's position as the global center of K-pop culture while highlighting both established superstars and emerging talent shaping the industry's future.
