ENHYPEN captured a landmark win with the Visa Fans’ Choice of the Year award, one of the evening’s most desired daesangs, or grand prizes, at the 2025 MAMA Awards on Nov. 28 at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Stadium. The group also won the Fans’ Choice Male Top 10 award and the Telasa Favorite Global Artist award. Its daesang win felt not only overdue but validating, especially since ENGENEs—their fans—have frequently expressed worry about the group being overlooked.
During their acceptance speech, ENHYPEN member Sunghoon said the timing made the win more memorable.
“In two days, it’s our fifth anniversary, and I’m thinking of this award as a gift from our ENGENEs,” Sunghoon said.
Year after year, ENHYPEN has produced strong music, memorable performances and consistent growth. Yet, major awards have often slipped past it, a pattern that has left many fans frustrated.
With this daesang, ENHYPEN became the first and only fourth-generation K-pop boy group to receive a grand prize at MAMA, marking a historic milestone. This achievement stands out as a significant breakthrough within the industry. Fourth-generation boy groups rarely receive this level of recognition, and ENHYPEN’s win shows both its growing influence and the shifting views on newer-generation artists.
On MAMA’s stage, ENHYPEN delivered jaw-dropping performances of “No Doubt” and “Bad Desire (With or Without You),” energizing the audience and showing its growing stage presence. The choreography, energy and confidence displayed showcased the performance quality fans frequently praise.
“Everything paid off with the stages, the effort and the energy,” one ENGENE commented on a YouTube video. “Their performances are always top-notch.”
This year has marked significant growth for ENHYPEN. In April, it captivated international fans with a performance at Coachella, which is a rare opportunity for K-pop artists. On June 5, ENHYPEN released its sixth mini-album, DESIRE : UNLEASH, gaining even more popularity. From July through August, it held solo stadium concerts in Japan and wrapped up their world tour “WALK THE LINE” in October after drawing hundreds of thousands of fans, further showing their status as a global act.
This daesang is not just an award but evidence of ENHYPEN’s journey from debut hopefuls to successful artists. It acknowledges not only its talent and hard work but also the enduring support of its fans.
“It’s been a rough five years, not going to lie,” member Jake said. “There have been a lot of ups and downs, but we are so happy that we have ENGENEs by our side to follow us and guide us through that journey, so thank you once again.”
The members not only acknowledged their fans but immediately stood up and embraced each other as their win was announced, acknowledging themselves as a team.
“I want to thank the other members for always working hard and believing in each other,” Jake said. “Without them, none of this would have been possible, so thank you guys.”
Looking ahead, ENHYPEN’s fate suggests this milestone could be just the beginning. With its proven talent, growing international stage presence and now historic achievements, it has raised the bar for what a fourth-generation group can achieve.
