As of September 28, 2026, Blackpink's Lisa has won Best Pop at the MTV Video Music Awards — the first time a solo artist from Asia has taken home a trophy in the category, let alone all of K-pop. The winning track, "Dream," features Japanese actor-singer Sakaguchi Kentaro.
Key points
- Lisa won Best Pop for her single "Dream," becoming the first Asian solo artist to win the category.
- It's only the second time an Asian act has won this category at all — BTS took it home previously as a group.
- Lisa teared up accepting the trophy and closed her speech with a thank-you in Thai.
- BTS is up for the night's top award with a new song, putting a second straight year of K-pop wins in that category within reach.
At a theater in Los Angeles, one of the night's biggest moments belonged to Lisa. Heading into the ceremony, she had racked up four nominations — Best Pop among them, alongside Cinematography, Editing, and the K-pop category — and Best Pop, one of the show's marquee awards, is the one she actually took home.
What makes the win significant is that it's a solo achievement. Asian acts have won the category before, but always as groups; Lisa is the first solo artist from K-pop, or the broader Asian music scene, to pull it off. She got visibly emotional on stage, and the crowd cheered her on.
BTS's night was also worth watching. Their nomination, for a track off their latest studio album, put them in the running for the ceremony's top honor — the same category Blackpink's Rosé won last year with her duet alongside a pop star, marking K-pop's first-ever win there. A BTS win would make it two years running for K-pop in that category.
Elsewhere, Jennie and rookie group Katseye each landed nominations for separate songs, while Cortis and Le Sserafim joined the race in K-pop-specific categories. Having so many K-pop acts — groups and soloists alike — up for awards at once is generating plenty of buzz on its own.
The ceremony, which got its start in the mid-1980s, has long stood alongside the Grammys and Billboard Music Awards as one of the US music industry's key barometers.
FAQ
What is the MTV Video Music Awards?
It's one of the biggest US music award shows, launched in the mid-1980s, and is widely considered alongside the Grammys and Billboard Music Awards as a key industry barometer.
Why is Lisa's win such a notable record?
No Asian artist had previously won this category as a solo act — only as part of a group, as BTS did before her.
What award was BTS up for at this year's show?
They were nominated for the ceremony's top honor with a track from their latest studio album; a win would give K-pop a second straight year atop that category.
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