The 17th Melon Music Awards (MMA2025) is gearing up for another spectacular celebration of K-pop, revealing its first wave of performers: IVE, PLAVE, BOYNEXTDOOR, and RIIZE. Hosted by Kakao Entertainment’s streaming platform Melon, the event will take place on December 20 at Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome, returning to the iconic venue for the first time in three years.
IVE continues its powerhouse run this year, combining strong chart performance with global appeal. Their February single “REBEL HEART” dominated Melon’s monthly chart, followed by back-to-back hits “ATTITUDE” and “XOXZ.” With their second world tour SHOW WHAT I AM on the horizon, IVE’s appearance at MMA2025 will spotlight their impressive momentum and international success.
PLAVE is also making waves with record-breaking achievements. Their third mini-album Caligo Pt.1 became the first to exceed 10 million streams in just 24 hours on Melon’s Hall of Fame, while lead track “Dash” hit an astonishing 185 million streams—the platform’s most-played song in the first half of the year. Their Japanese-language album Hide and Seek and digital single of the same name both earned Million Album status. After sweeping TOP10 and Million TOP10 at MMA2024, PLAVE’s return to the stage is one of the most anticipated moments of this year’s show.
BOYNEXTDOOR continues to impress as a self-producing group known for authenticity and musical range. Starting the year with the viral breakup anthem “If I Say, I LOVE YOU,” they followed up with mini-albums No Genre and The Action, each setting new personal bests on Melon charts. Fresh off their Best Male Performance win at MMA2024, the group is expected to raise the energy once again with another dynamic stage.
RIIZE, who released their first full-length album ODYSSEY in May, has shown remarkable artistic growth. The lead track “Fly Up” soared to #1 on Melon’s HOT100 and #3 on the TOP100, with every song on the album charting in the TOP100. After winning five major awards at MMA2024—including Best Male Group and Global Rising Artist—RIIZE is poised to deliver another show-stopping performance.
MMA2025 promises to blend tradition and innovation, reinforcing its reputation as the home base of K-pop excellence. KakaoBank returns as title sponsor, and fans can join in on pre-event festivities like the Fan Point Exchange, which lets them support artists through online and offline ads, and the MMA Invitation King campaign, offering a chance to attend the show in person. Voting for the TOP10 and category awards will be available soon on Melon’s official MMA2025 page.
