Rosé just turned a breakout solo era into a genuine awards-season run: she scored eight nominations at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, including Video of the Year and Song of the Year for “APT.” with Bruno Mars, plus Best K-Pop for her solo single “toxic till the end.” That tally ties her for the fourth-most nominations of the night and places her squarely among this year’s top contenders.
The VMAs will air September 7, 2025 from UBS Arena in New York, hosted by LL COOL J—with fan voting open online until Sept. 5.
The nominations at a glance
- Video of the Year — “APT.” (with Bruno Mars)
- Song of the Year — “APT.”
- Best Collaboration — “APT.”
- Best Pop — “APT.”
- Best Direction — “APT.”
- Best Art Direction — “APT.”
- Best Visual Effects — “APT.”
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Best K-Pop — “toxic till the end”
These nods put Rosé alongside heavy hitters like Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, and Sabrina Carpenter at the top of the leaderboard this year.
Why this is a milestone
Rosé’s haul underscores a broader shift: K-pop artists competing—and being recognized—in general-field VMAs categories, not just genre slots. Her “APT.” nominations across Video, Song, Pop, Direction, Art Direction and VFX show real crossover traction for a Korean soloist in the VMAs’ most visible races. (And in a sign of how global this year’s ballot is, all four BLACKPINK members earned solo nods in Best K-Pop.)
The music powering the moment
“APT.” didn’t just go viral; it sustained. The Rosé–Bruno Mars duet topped the Billboard Global 200 for double-digit weeks and spent much of 2025 on worldwide charts, while also rising on the U.S. Hot 100. That kind of durability explains the video and craft category love at the VMAs.
Meanwhile, “toxic till the end” — released in late 2024 on her debut album rosie — gives Rosé a separate pathway into Best K-Pop, highlighting the breadth of her solo repertoire beyond the Mars collaboration.
Rosé’s reaction
Shortly after nominations dropped, Rosé posted a quick video saying she was “beyond shocked” and “absolutely speechless,” a candid moment that matched the scale of the news and immediately ricocheted across fandom timelines.
What to watch next
- Showtime & where to watch: Sept. 7 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and MTV (also streaming on Paramount+).
- Fan voting: Open now and closes Sept. 5 (Best New Artist voting extends into the live show). If you’re supporting Rosé, vote early—and often—within the daily limits.
Bottom line
With eight nominations that penetrate the VMAs’ most high-profile races, Rosé isn’t just “representing K-pop”—she’s competing at the center of pop culture’s big night. However the trophies fall, this is already a defining win for her solo era.
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