On a night packed with pop power, Rosé made history at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards—becoming the first K-pop artist to win Song of the Year for her smash collaboration “APT.” with Bruno Mars. The ceremony took place on Sept. 7 at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, with LL Cool J hosting.

Why this win matters

K-pop has collected VMAs before—often in genre or regional categories—but Song of the Year is one of the show’s marquee, all-genre honors. Rosé’s triumph signals a deeper mainstream embrace of K-pop songwriting and global collaboration beyond the “Best K-Pop” lane. Multiple outlets confirmed the historic first, cementing her milestone for the industry.

The moment on stage

Accepting the Moon Person, Rosé dedicated the award to her 16-year-old self and to anyone “dreaming of being accepted equally for their hard work,” a line that resonated across the arena and social feeds. Her emotional remarks underscored the personal stakes behind a record-breaking year.

How “APT.” became unavoidable

“APT.” arrived as a high-octane, pop-rock-leaning duet powered by Rosé’s razor-bright vocal and Mars’s sleek, band-centric polish. The single dominated globally—spending weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200, a run that set the stage for its awards haul. (Industry recaps peg the streak at around 12 weeks.) Its cross-cultural chemistry and replay-ready hook helped it punch far beyond fandom borders.

Inside the VMAs night

Ariana Grande took Video of the Year for “Brighter Days Ahead,” Lady Gaga earned Artist of the Year and shared Best Collaboration with Mars for “Die With a Smile,” while Sabrina Carpenter scored Best Album for Short n’ Sweet. Newcomer Alex Warren won Best New Artist; Mariah Carey received a long-overdue Video Vanguard honor, and the show paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne. Together, the wins framed Rosé’s Song of the Year moment as part of a night spotlighting female pop—and collaborators who helped define 2024–25.

Beyond the trophy: what changes now

• For K-pop: Rosé’s win sets a precedent for Korean and hybrid global acts competing—and winning—in top VMAs fields, not just niche categories. Expect labels to invest more in cross-market singles engineered for global radio and playlisting. (Think multilingual hooks, live-band arrangements, and co-writes that bridge U.S.–Korea hitmaking.)
• For collaborations: The “APT.” model—pairing a K-pop star with a legacy U.S. hitmaker—proved awards-viable. It will likely accelerate A-list co-writes and dual-label rollouts across continents.
• For Rosé: With a historic VMAs moment and an era-defining single, the runway is clear for her next release cycle and festival headlining bids.

Quick timeline

• Oct. 2024: “APT.” releases and quickly becomes a global streaming and chart force.
• Sept. 7, 2025: VMAs at UBS Arena; Rosé & Bruno Mars win Song of the Year; Rosé delivers a career-defining acceptance speech.