The final ceremony of MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2025 took place at ROHM Theatre Kyoto on May 22nd, closing out the two-day event with the announcement of top honours including Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year.
Artist of the Year: Mrs. GREEN APPLE
Celebrating their 10th anniversary, Mrs. GREEN APPLE received the title of Artist of the Year. Announced by actor Koji Yakusho, the win was accepted on stage by the three-piece band’s frontman, Motoki Ohmori, who reflected on the group’s decade-long journey:
“We’ve been able to make it this far thanks to the support of so many people. Above all, my bandmates, and also the fact that I truly enjoy making music—that’s been our saving grace.”
Turning to members Hiroto Wakai and Ryoka Fujisawa, he added, “We did it, seriously!”.
Formed in 2013 and resuming activity as a trio in 2022, Mrs. GREEN APPLE have established themselves as consistent hitmakers, with 24 songs surpassing 100 million streams. Their back-to-back wins at the Japan Record Awards in 2023 and 2024 marked a first in the award’s history.
Song of the Year: Creepy Nuts – ‘Bling-Bang-Bang-Born’
The Song of the Year Award went to Creepy Nuts’ viral hit ‘Bling-Bang-Bang-Born’, securing the duo their eighth win of the event. Accepting the award from lyricist Takashi Matsumoto, R-Shitei said, “We’re honoured to receive the top award among so many great songs. It’s an honour that a song we came up with from such a minimal place could receive an award like this”.
Later in the ceremony, Creepy Nuts picked up Best Japanese Hip-Hop/Rap Artist, bringing their final tally to nine awards across the two days. Commenting on the genre’s legacy, R-Shitei acknowledged its domestic foundations:
“It’s thanks to the pioneers who helped root and elevate hip-hop in Japan. We are who we are today because of their influence. And we’ll continue to be influenced by the younger generation as well—that’s what hip-hop culture is all about.”
Album of the Year: Fujii Kaze – ‘LOVE ALL SERVE ALL’
The Album of the Year Award was presented to Fujii Kaze for ‘LOVE ALL SERVE ALL’. Originally released in March 2022, the album features major tracks including ‘Kirari’ and ‘Tabiji’. Accepting the award, Fujii said:
“This album came out three years ago, but I still remember how much love I poured into making it. I hope everyone out there finds a way to share the love in their hearts with the world, in whatever form it may take. I’m truly honoured—thank you so much.”
Top Global Hit From Japan: YOASOBI – ‘Idol’
YOASOBI took home Top Global Hit From Japan for their anime theme ‘Idol’, which held the top spot on the Billboard JAPAN Hot 100 for a record 21 consecutive weeks. On stage, vocalist ikura highlighted the song’s roots in the Oshi no Ko story and reaffirmed the group’s creative direction:
“The song ‘Idol’ was created from the story of Oshi no Ko. We approached it in a way that is uniquely YOASOBI—turning narrative into music—so we’re thrilled to receive this kind of recognition. Going forward, we want to stay true to who YOASOBI is: playful, imaginative, and always bringing excitement.”
Best Idol: Snow Man
Idol boy band Snow Man received the Best Idol Artist/Group Award. Although the group did not attend in person, messages of thanks were shared shortly after the announcement. Daisuke Sakuma wrote on X, “Thank you for this wonderful award”, while Ryohei Abe posted on his Instagram Stories, “We won!! Truly honoured”, adding, “It’s all thanks to everyone who supports us~”.
Presented by Kyoko Koizumi, a long-standing figure in Japan’s idol history, the award recognised Snow Man’s continued popularity and presence across music, film, and television. Since debuting in 2020 with ‘D.D.’, the group have built a reputation for precision choreography and large-scale live shows, including their first five-dome tour in 2024. Their 2023 album ‘i DO ME’ sold over a million copies in its first week.
The New Artist of the Year Award went to singer-songwriter tuki., whose debut track ‘Bansanka’ has surpassed 400 million streams since its 2023 release. Figure skater Mao Asada presented the award.
Spotify users voted Number_i’s debut single ‘GOAT’ as the Best of Listeners’ Choice: Japanese Song, selecting it from a shortlist of 30 nominees. Accepting the award, Yuta Kishi said, “We’ll keep working hard so that even more people who don’t know us yet can discover and enjoy our music”.
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The ceremony opened with the premiere of RYDEEN REBOOT, a multi-artist performance built around Yellow Magic Orchestra’s 1979 track ‘Rydeen’, chosen as the official symbol of MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2025. The segment featured a cross-generational lineup including Perfume, Yoshinori Sunahara, STUTS, CHANMINA, Number_i, Ichiro Yamaguchi (Sakanaction), 10-FEET, ATARASHII GAKKO!, YUKI, Yasuyuki Okamura, and a virtual appearance from Hatsune Miku. The full video is now available on YouTube.
Performances: MAJ 2025 Grand Ceremony
The Grand Ceremony on May 22nd brought together a focused line-up of performances that reflected the scope of Japanese music in 2025. YOASOBI played ‘PLAYERS’, their contribution to PlayStation’s 30th anniversary campaign, ahead of its English-language release on May 23rd. Creepy Nuts returned to the stage with ‘Bling-Bang-Bang-Born’, following its dominant showing across both days of the event. CHANMINA delivered a four-track medley—‘Harenchi’, ‘KING’, ‘Bijin’, and ‘WORK HARD’—that underscored the range of her catalogue and her position within Japan’s rap mainstream.
Hikaru Utada appeared via pre-recorded footage performing ‘Electricity’, a track from last year’s ‘SCIENCE FICTION’ which recently made its Coachella debut with Arca. Fujii Kaze performed ‘Michiteyuku’ in a stripped-back piano-led set, aligning with his ongoing run of international tour announcements. Awich led a joint performance with AI, NENE, and MaRI on the remix of ‘Bad Bitch Bigaku’, as well as a duet with AI on ‘Not So Different (Remix)’.
Mrs. GREEN APPLE performed ‘Darling’ as part of their 10th anniversary activities, while Eikichi Yazawa delivered a three-song set—‘It’s Up to You!’, ‘Tomaranai Ha~Ha’, and ‘Yes My Love’—drawing a straight line back to the roots of modern Japanese rock.
Snippets from the performances are available to watch on the MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN YouTube Shorts.
For the complete list of winners across both days of MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2025, visit musicawardsjapan.com.
