Controversy Surrounding the 2025 Hanteo Music Awards: j-hope's Loss and Fan Backlash
The Hanteo Music Awards were held at the KSPO Dome in Seoul on February 15, 2026. The 2025 edition faced criticism when j-hope from BTS lost the R&B and Hip Hop Special Award to Lee Young-ji. The winners were determined based on chart records, a review committee, and multi-app voting rounds. Fans were disappointed as j-hope had a significant lead in the initial voting process, but the final results did not reflect this.
The voting process accounted for about 60% of the total score, leading fans to question the fairness of the outcome. Social media was abuzz with fans expressing frustration and alleging that the results were rigged. Many supporters felt that j-hope should have easily won based on his lead in the fan voting. The controversy surrounding the awards' transparency and fairness continued to circulate online.
In 2025, j-hope resumed solo promotions after completing military duty, releasing singles like "Sweet Dreams" featuring Miguel and "Killin’ It Girl" featuring GloRilla. He also embarked on the HOPE ON THE STAGE tour and headlined festivals like Lollapalooza Berlin. Prior to these releases, he had put out projects like "Hope on the Street Vol. 1" in 2024 and collaborated with artists like J. Cole in 2023.
j-hope is gearing up to reunite with BTS for their fifth studio album ARIRANG after almost four years. The group is also preparing for a massive tour scheduled for April. Fans are eagerly anticipating their return and are looking forward to the new music and performances from the septet.