BLACKPINK’s Lisa became the first K-pop solo artist to win the MTV Video Music Awards’ Best Pop category, taking the Moon Person trophy on Sept 27 for her solo track ‘Dream’ from her debut album Alter Ego, a historic moment that quickly sparked both celebration and backlash online.
The award was presented at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, where presenter Teyana Taylor announced her name to loud cheers, and Lisa appeared visibly emotional on stage, shedding tears as she accepted the award.
“Sawatdee kha, everyone, thank you MTV for this amazing award,” said Lisa, greeting the audience in Thai, followed by thanking her collaborators on the track. “All those late night dreams brought me here today, so thank you for the inspiration.”
She also thanked her fans, saying: “Thank you to my Lilies (fandom name), I wouldn’t be here without you guys. Thank you so much for your love and support.”
‘Dream’, a collaboration with Japanese actor Kentaro Sakaguchi, featured on Lisa’s February 2025 album Alter Ego, and had already positioned her as the most-nominated K-pop act at the 2026 VMAs with four nods, including Best K-Pop, Best Cinematography and Best Editing for the same track.
Shortly after her win, Lisa delivered the first live performance of ‘Sawadika’, a prerelease single from her upcoming EP Press Play, due Oct 23, placing her alongside a headline lineup that included Madonna, Shaboozey, Gunna and Raye.
On the red carpet, she drew immediate attention in a sheer red form-fitting dress by The Attico. She layered it with a dramatic fuzzy coat by Quine Li. Her high ponytail brought back her signature bangs — a look that itself became a flashpoint for divided reactions.
Despite the milestone, Lisa’s Best Pop victory triggered significant online backlash, with some netizens dismissing the VMAs as an “attendance award.” Others questioning the fairness and transparency of the result, while a some accused her of “buying awards”.
Read more: Lisa x Playstation: BLACKPINK Star Fronts Limited-Edition Dualsense and Merch Drop
The VMAs are often referred to as an “attendance award” since it is believed by fans and even the media that winners are selected through attendance rather than merit or voting process itself.
“crying over an attendance award is devious work,” said one fan.
“nothing about this girl is organic holy shit,” another disgruntled X user said.
“wondering if she genuinely thinks she deserves it. no offense, but doesn’t she see the other nominees and realize that her song didn’t have even 1% of the relevance the others did??” Questioned another.
Lisa cries while accepting the Best Pop award at the 2026 #VMAspic.twitter.com/4jP0jWPnug
— About Music (@AboutMusicYT) September 28, 2026
Other nominees’ debut streams:
The Fate of Ophelia — 30M
Drop Dead — 10M
Hate That I Made You Love Me — 8M
House Tour — 4MThe winner’s debut streams:
Dream — 1MMake it make sense 😭 https://t.co/QINEEbjnud
— SAW BTS (@kookprintts) September 28, 2026
? the concept of crying over an award you literally bought😭 https://t.co/KCcZ5uKxaQ
— ً (@forsylin) September 28, 2026
wondering if she genuinely thinks she deserves it. no offense, but doesn’t she see the other nominees and realize that her song didn’t have even 1% of the relevance the others did?? https://t.co/azzvNsXwxe
— j.m vio a bts (@jmprettiest) September 28, 2026
nothing about this girl is organic holy shit https://t.co/YXLSyzDKf4
— rim ✦ (@bratzlibra) September 28, 2026
crying over an attendance award is devious work https://t.co/9HOmHvCvK4
— WHITEMAMBA (@THEOGWHITEMAMBA) September 28, 2026
The controversy reflects a broader pattern of polarized responses to Lisa’s high-profile moments. These range from fashion choices to collaborations and public comments.
Even so, her win marks a milestone for K-pop and Asian solo artists at a major U.S. music awards show. It follows BTS’s group win in the same category in 2020.
That earlier win also drew mixed reactions. Some critics and viewers argued that MTV’s creation of a dedicated Best K‑Pop category in 2019 felt like tokenism, keeping BTS out of the main Artist, Video and Song of the Year races.
Fans, meanwhile, pushed back against what they saw as under‑recognition, noting BTS’s global metrics and influence.
In 2020, BTS broke into the mainstream pop field by winning Best Pop for “On,” becoming the first Asian act to take that prize. The group swept all four of its nominations: Best Pop, Best Group, Best K‑Pop and Best Choreography, and debuted their first all‑English single, ‘Dynamite,’ with a high‑profile VMAs performance.
VMAs have always been a pay to play attendance award. They hand pick the performers and award winners in hopes of creating a show line up that people will tune in to watch. Don’t take it too serious. No one looks at the VMAs as a serious award. https://t.co/da482pbbig
— Cindy⁷💜💜💜💜💜💜💜 (@btsfanmomma) September 8, 2025
