Rising K-pop girl group ILLIT secured their first major U.S. win, winning the "Best New Artist (K-pop)" award at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards.
The ceremony, which took place on March 17 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California, marks a significant milestone for the girl group ILLIT. Notably, the group—consisting of members YunAh, Minju, Moka, Wonhee, and Iroha—debuted less than a year ago with its album Super Real Me.
The lead track from their album "Magnetic," became the first K-pop debut track to enter the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Official Singles Top 100 charts, setting a historic precedent for the group. That same track was also nominated for "K-Pop Song of the Year" and "K-Pop Dance Challenge" at the music awards show.
Since their debut, ILLIT has consistently made waves in the music industry. Their second mini-album, I'LL LIKE YOU, debuted at No. 94 on the Billboard 200 chart, marking their second consecutive entry on the chart.
The group's success extends beyond music. In December 2024, ILLIT won the "New Artist Award" at Japan's prestigious Record Awards, becoming the first K-pop girl group in 13 years to achieve this honor.
The group's recent release, "Almond Chocolate," a Japanese single, has also garnered attention after it was included in the soundtrack of the Japanese live-action movie It Takes More Than a Pretty Face to Fall in Love.
ILLIT was formed through the 2023 survival competition show "R U Next?," which was a collaboration between HYBE and JTBC. The show featured trainees competing for a spot in the final lineup, with audience votes and evaluations from industry professionals determining the winners. Originally, the group was set to debut as a six-member ensemble, but Youngseo, a pre-debut member, left before their official launch, leaving the group with five members.
