BLACKPINK’s Lisa took home Best K-Pop at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards for her single “Born Again” featuring Doja Cat and RAYE—one of the night’s headline-making moments at UBS Arena in New York. Multiple outlets logged her win as part of a K-pop-heavy show that also crowned Rosé (with Bruno Mars) for Song of the Year, underscoring the genre’s mainstream foothold.

What happened—and who she beat

Lisa’s “Born Again” topped a crowded Best K-Pop ballot that included aespa (“Whiplash”), Jennie (“Like Jennie”), Jimin (“Who”), Jisoo (“Earthquake”), Stray Kids (“Chk Chk Boom”), and Rosé (“Toxic Till the End”). It was one of the most closely watched fan races of the season.

Why fans are feuding

Soon after the winner was announced, social platforms lit up. A wave of posts questioned whether an English-language, Western-collab track should qualify as “K-Pop,” while others argued that chart impact and global reach made Lisa a deserving winner. Coverage recapping the discourse captured both frustration and celebration across fandom lines—particularly among supporters of Jimin and Lisa’s fellow BLACKPINK members.

The voting mechanics (and why they matter)

MTV’s 2025 rules allowed 10 votes per person per category per day, with designated “Power Hours” and “Double Days” that boosted vote allowances; general voting closed September 5. In a category driven by mass fan engagement, those mechanics can meaningfully sway outcomes—one reason debates about fairness and transparency flare every year.

Lisa’s expanding VMAs footprint

This victory makes Lisa one of the category’s defining names; several roundups note she now ties BTS for the most Best K-Pop wins (three each) since the category’s 2019 debut. Whether you see that as a fandom flex or a data point about her solo resonance, it puts her in rare company.

She didn’t attend—and that fueled more chatter

Adding intrigue, Lisa did not appear at the ceremony despite the win, with entertainment press noting her absence and scheduling conflicts. For some viewers, that amplified the “should this have gone to someone else?” narrative; for others, it highlighted just how massive her pull is even off-site.

How “Born Again” got here

Released earlier this year, “Born Again” arrived with high-profile collaborators and immediate international attention, continuing the momentum from Lisa’s recent solo era. Pre-release and chart-watch pieces framed it as a cross-market play built for global playlists—a strategy that likely helped drive VMAs voting.

Big picture: what this means for K-pop at U.S. awards

• Genre lines keep blurring. English-first tracks, Western co-writers, and hybrid rollouts are now standard for K-pop soloists courting global awards voters. Expect more cross-Atlantic collaborations tailored to streaming algorithms and radio adds.
• Fandom strategy is infrastructure. Vote windows, power hours, and multi-platform campaigns reward organized fanbases; the playbook matters as much as the music when trophies are fan-determined.
• Recognition beyond the K-pop lane is growing. With Rosé’s all-genre Song of the Year win and Lisa’s genre triumph in the same night, the VMAs signaled that Korean acts can compete both inside and outside “Best K-Pop.”

Quick timeline

• Sept 7, 2025: VMAs at UBS Arena; Lisa wins Best K-Pop; Rosé & Bruno Mars win Song of the Year.
• Voting window: August 5–September 5 (general voting), with power hours and double-day boosts.
• Early 2025: “Born Again” releases with Doja Cat & RAYE, priming Lisa’s solo run.