Historic Outdoor Spectacle in Macao
The 2025 THE FACT MUSIC AWARDS (TMA), a premier K-Pop festival, successfully wrapped up on September 20, 2025, at the Macao Outdoor Performance Venue. This year's ceremony marked a significant milestone as it was the first time the awards were held in an outdoor setting, offering a unique experience for both artists and fans. The venue, with a capacity exceeding 50,000 spectators, also hosted a Korean awards ceremony for the first time, solidifying Macao's growing presence in the global entertainment landscape.
Organized by The Fact and co-hosted by Fan N Star and The Square ENM Co., Ltd., the event followed last year's successful overseas edition at Japan's Kyocera Dome, further expanding TMA's international reach.
Star-Studded Lineup and Esteemed Hosts
The 2025 TMA featured a dazzling array of K-Pop's leading artists and rising stars. The extensive lineup included:
- Stray Kids
- aespa
- IVE
- NEXZ
- BOYNEXTDOOR
- NMIXX
- NCT WISH
- KiiiKiii
- Hearts2Hearts
- MEOVV
- AHOF
- ENHYPEN
- ZEROBASEONE
- Close Your Eyes
- TWS
The ceremony was expertly co-hosted by the familiar duo of Jun Hyun-moo and Seohyun, who have become synonymous with the TMA stage. Broadcaster Yoo Jae-pil hosted the red carpet event, welcoming the stars and building anticipation for the main show.
Celebrating K-Pop's Best: Award Winners
The evening culminated in the presentation of numerous prestigious awards, recognizing the outstanding achievements in K-Pop throughout the year. Key winners included:
- Honor of the Year: Stray Kids
- Muse of the Year: aespa
- Sound of the Year: IVE
- Record of the Year: Stray Kids
- Icon of the Year: ENHYPEN
- World Best Performer: ZEROBASEONE
- World Best Wave: BOYNEXTDOOR
- Global Hot Trend: NEXZ and MEOVV
- Next Leader: Hearts2Hearts
- TMA Popularity Award: Stray Kids
- Fan N Star Choice (Solo): Jin (BTS)
- Fan N Star Choice (Group): PLAVE
A Global K-Pop Phenomenon
The 2025 THE FACT MUSIC AWARDS in Macao underscored the global appeal and continuous growth of K-Pop. The event, broadcast live worldwide, provided fans across the globe with an opportunity to connect with their favorite artists and celebrate the vibrant K-Pop industry. The shift to an outdoor venue and its location in Macao, a city blending Eastern and Western cultures, further highlighted TMA's commitment to innovation and expanding its global footprint.
5 Comments
Bermudez
Macao offers an interesting blend of cultures for an international event, however, the travel logistics and cost for many international fans could be a significant barrier to attendance.
Habibi
Outdoor TMA in Macao was a stroke of genius! So fresh and exciting.
Muchacho
The scale of this event was mind-blowing, a true spectacle.
Comandante
Celebrating K-Pop's achievements with so many awards is wonderful for recognition, but sometimes it feels like the sheer number of categories dilutes the prestige of winning.
Muchacha
While the outdoor setting was certainly grand and visually impressive, I do wonder about the potential for weather disruptions or comfort issues for such a large crowd over several hours.