Hearts2Hearts & Carmen Achieve Major Wins at KGMA 2025

Hearts2Hearts wins big at KGMA 2025.
Carmen claims Trend of the Year for rookies.
A new milestone for global K Pop representation.

Hearts2Hearts, the newest girl group from SM Entertainment, drew massive attention at the 2025 Korea Grand Music Awards (KGMA), held on November 15, 2025, at Inspire Arena in Incheon. On what is also known as Music Day, the eight members of Hearts2Hearts performed their song “FOCUS” in front of thousands of fans and millions of online viewers. This marks the second edition of the KGMA, an award ceremony initiated by Ilgan Sports to honor artists who contribute to the global spread of Korean culture while showcasing a mix of senior and rookie musicians. Winners are selected through jury evaluation, digital and album sales, and fan voting.

Among the biggest highlights of the night, Hearts2Hearts received the IS Rising Star award, a special category made to spotlight remarkable new artists. Alongside IDID and KickFlip, their name was listed as one of the winners. The celebration continued when Carmen, their Bali-born member, took home the Trend of the Year (Rookie) trophy. This double achievement made Hearts2Hearts the only group to win two major awards on Music Day, solidifying their position as one of the most promising new acts in the K Pop industry.

IS Rising Star and Trend of the Year: Double Achievement for H2H

Hearts2Hearts victory as IS Rising Star proves that their debut successfully captivated the public. KGMA is a two day festival split into Artist Day and Music Day. Music Day features live performances and winner announcements, including Stray Kids who won Grand Record and IVE who brought home Grand Song. Despite the dominance of already established groups, Hearts2Hearts managed to earn recognition through a special category designed to honor rising talents. The winner list for IS Rising Star included three names: IDID, KickFlip, and Hearts2Hearts, while the Trend of the Year title was awarded to BTS V for the solo segment and Carmen of Hearts2Hearts for the rookie segment.

Trend of the Year, which is fully determined by fan votes, highlights the monthly trends within K Pop. Carmen, who became the first Indonesian idol signed under SM Entertainment, earned the title after years of hard work as a trainee. She accepted the trophy with a heartfelt smile, as shown in the official post with the hashtag #TrendoftheYear_Rookie. This milestone is not only a proud moment for fans, but also a symbol of inclusivity, allowing Indonesian fans to see their representative gain equal recognition alongside Korean idols.

Hearts2Hearts is far from an ordinary group. Formed by SM Entertainment, they consist of eight members: Carmen, Jiwoo, Yuha, Stella, Juun, A na, Ian, and Ye on. They made their debut on February 24, 2025, with the single album “The Chase,” marking SM’s first new girl group in four years since aespa. The name Hearts2Hearts represents their mission to connect with global fans through emotional music and sincere messages, moving forward as a bigger “we”.

Carmen, also known as Nyoman Ayu Carmenita, is the most spotlighted member. Born in Bali, she went through a long journey to pursue her dream. Reports from Indonesian media detail how Carmen left her hometown, trained intensively in Seoul, and became an inspiration to many young girls. The article explains how she first fell in love with K Pop after watching Girls Generation and how she wanted to prove that an Indonesian girl could shine on the Korean stage. Carmen’s success at KGMA marks the peak of that journey, opening doors for Southeast Asian idols in an industry historically dominated by Korea, Japan, and China.

Fans, known as Hatchu, embraced the victory with deep emotion, but some also expressed criticism towards management and event organizers. Complaints were raised regarding stage size, wardrobe choices, and their limited performance spotlight. Here are some netizen comments:

“Let Carmen show the name of her trophy!! What’s the point of us voting for her in KGMA but she is hiding the rookie title on the trophy? Is it her trophy or the Rising Star H2H trophy?? You guys scared of her or what??!!!”

“Congrats @Hearts2Hearts Please, @SMTOWNGLOBAL give them a chance to show their talent, until now you have continued to hold them back, even giving them a small stage, their hard work should be rewarded with a grand stage, but you treat them unfairly”

“Even if other fandoms bully us, we already accept it wkwkwk this is SM level but the outfit looks like they came to a small mushow. If at MAMA or MMA H2H still performs like usual, we will burn down SM building 😡😡”

“Please update on Instagram about the KGMA wins 🏆, Rising Star and Rookie female KGMA. So Hatchu can stay motivated to vote and stream.😭🔥💙❤️”

“This is an award show, not a mushow. Please pay more attention to their performance and appearance 👊 They performed to get an award, it should have been much better than today 👊 fix your teamwork 👊 @SMTOWNGLOBAL”

“Congrats my girls 💕”

“There is something strange, H2H actually has new outfits. But they wore them somewhere else and used recycled outfits at an award show. How is that possible?”

“Congrats H2H babies 🥰”

“Congrats babies yall did so well 💕💕”

“Congratulations Carmen 🎉🎉🎉 Even though I am a bit mad there was no proper ceremony like other award shows, I pray you win again next time and finally get given time for a real speech!!!”

“FINALLY THE TROPHY IS IN YOUR HANDS CARMEN 😭👑 So proud of you!! Every step, every effort, everything was paid off today! Thank you for working so hard, you truly deserve this moment queen 🏆💙”

From these comments, it is clear that Hearts2Hearts fans are very vocal. They not only celebrated the win, but also expressed hopes that management will provide greater opportunities for the group, including improvement in performance staging, wardrobe, and public recognition. Criticism also surfaced regarding the visibility of Carmen’s trophy, as several netizens questioned why her name was not clearly shown. Despite this, the positive responses remained dominant, with many expressing deep pride and appreciation for her hard work.

Overall, Hearts2Hearts and Carmen’s victory at KGMA 2025 is not only an achievement for a rising group, but also a new chapter for diversity within the K Pop industry. Their success proves that talents from different countries can shine on a global stage. With a loyal fanbase and official recognition already secured, Hearts2Hearts appears ready to move forward confidently in their career.

Source: Soompi, Allkpop, Sportskeeda, Wikipedia, NME, Observer