The Brand of the Year Awards 2025 has officially revealed its winners, and some of the biggest names in K-pop and Korean entertainment are taking home top honors. Organized annually to spotlight the most influential figures and content across music, acting, variety, and media, the ceremony is regarded as one of the most reliable barometers of public recognition and brand value in South Korea.
In the music field, Stray Kids were named Male Idol of the Year, cementing their global dominance after another record-breaking year on the charts and in touring. Rookie girl group UNIS secured Female Idol of the Year, while G-Dragon reaffirmed his legendary status with Male Solo Artist of the Year. On the female side, ROSÉ of BLACKPINK earned the coveted Female Solo Artist of the Year award.
International categories highlighted the reach of K-pop across Asia. In Indonesia, Jennie was named Female Solo Artist of the Year, while aespa triumphed as Female Idol of the Year in both Indonesia and Vietnam. Jisoo also stood out, winning Female Solo Artist of the Year in Vietnam.
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South Korea Winners
Variety and Entertainment
- Male Variety Show Star: Yoo Jae Suk
- Female Variety Show Star: Jang Do Yeon
- Male Entertainer: Moon Se Yoon
- Female Entertainer: Hong Hyun Hee
- Comedian: Kim Won Hoon
- Comedienne: Lee Eun Ji
- MC: Park Kyung Lim
- Announcer-Entertainer: Kang Ji Young
- Sports Entertainer: Lee Se Dol
- Male Multi-tainer: Park Bo Gum
- Female Multi-tainer: Lee Young Ji
- Female Web Variety Show MC: Jang Do Yeon – “Salon Drip”
- Male Web Variety Show MC: Kai – “Jeongwaja”
- YouTube Comedy Channel: “beautyfool”
Music and Idols
- Male Idol Variety Show Star: Jin
- Female Idol Variety Show Star: An Yu Jin
- Male Idol: Stray Kids
- Female Idol: UNIS
- Male Solo Artist: G-Dragon
- Female Solo Artist: Rosé
- Male Rookie Idol: CLOSE YOUR EYES
- Female Rookie Idol: Hearts2Hearts
- Hot Trend Female Idol: KATSEYE
- Rising Star Female Idol: SAY MY NAME
- Male Hot Icon: WOODZ
- Female Hot Icon: Lee Soo Ji
- Band: DAY6
- Male Vocalist: Lee Mu Jin
- Female Vocalist: IU
- Crossover Group: Libelante
- Traditional Musician: Song So Hee
Acting
- Drama Actor: Lee Jun Hyuk
- Drama Actress: Park Bo Young
- Film Actor: Yoo Hae Jin
- Film Actress: Song Hye Kyo
- OTT Actor: Park Bo Gum
- OTT Actress: IU
- Rookie Actor: Cha Woo Min
- Rookie Actress: Shin Si Ah
- Rising Star Actor: Lee Jun Young
- Rising Star Actress: Roh Jeong Eui
- Hot Trend Actor: Choo Young Woo
- Scene Stealer Actor: Choi Dae Hoon
- Scene Stealer Actress: Lee Bong Ryun
- Acting Idol: Park Jinyoung
Media and Content
- Male Radio DJ: Kim Tae Gyun – “2 O’Clock Cultwo Show”
- Female Radio DJ: Wendy – “Wendy’s Young Street”
- Male Advertisement Model: Lim Young Woong
- Female Advertisement Model: Jang Won Young
- Male Celebrity YouTuber: Choo Sung Hoon – “ChooSungHoon”
- Female Celebrity YouTuber: Lee Soo Ji – “Hot Issue Ji”
- Chef: Jung Ji Sun
- Sports Star: Faker
Shows
- Talk Show: “You Quiz on the Block”
- Observational Variety Show: “Home Alone”
- Weekend Variety Show: “Running Man”
- Sports Variety Show: “Shooting Stars”
- Dating Show: “I am Solo”
- OTT Variety Show: “Kian’s Bizarre B&B”
- Competition Show: “Immortal Songs”
- Travel Variety Show: “Adventure by Accident 4”
Indonesia Winners
- Male Idol: SEVENTEEN
- Female Idol: aespa
- Male Solo Artist: G-Dragon
- Female Solo Artist: Jennie
- Rising Star Male Idol: NCT WISH
- Rising Star Female Idol: Hearts2Hearts
- Band: DAY6
- Female Vocalist: IU
- Actor: Byeon Woo Seok
- Actress: Go Youn Jung
Vietnam Winners
- Male Idol: TEMPEST
- Female Idol: aespa
- Male Solo Artist: Kim Jae Joong
- Female Solo Artist: Jisoo
- Rising Star Male Idol: ARrC
- Actor: Park Bo Gum
- Actress: IU
- eSports Gamer: Faker
- Korean Game: In the SEOM with BTS
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