After 3 Best K-Pop Wins, Lisa Just Crossed Into MTV VMA Best Pop Territory

Lisa took the stage at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on September 27 and cried through her acceptance speech after winning Best Pop at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, becoming the first Asian solo artist to ever claim the category.

The win came for Dream, her collaboration with Japanese actor Kentaro Sakaguchi. Presented by Teyana Taylor, it arrived in a field that included Ariana Grande, Charli XCX, Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, Tate McRae, and Taylor Swift, as competitive a Best Pop ballot as the VMAs have fielded in years.

A record that matters

An Asian act had won Best Pop once before: BTS in 2020, competing as a group. Lisa's win is the first time a solo artist from Asia or the K-pop world has taken the category, a distinction the VMA record books hadn't seen in the six years since that BTS milestone.

For Lisa, it also completes a different kind of milestone progression. She had already won Best K-Pop at the VMAs three separate times, for LALISA, Rockstar, and Born Again, making her one of the most decorated artists in that category's history. Best Pop represents a ceiling above it.

The acceptance speech

When her name was called, Lisa opened with "Sawatdee kha," the Thai greeting she's used as a personal signature, before switching to English. "All those late night dreams brought me here today," she told the crowd, thanking her collaborators on the track. The moment she reached her fans, the Lilies, her composure visibly broke. "I wouldn't be here without you guys. Thank you so much for your love and support." She closed with khob khun kha, another Thai expression of thanks, bookending the speech the same way she began it.

The emotional weight of the moment was unmistakable for anyone who has followed her solo career since the LALISA era. This was not a routine awards-circuit night.

Four nominations, one performance

Beyond Best Pop, Dream earned Lisa three additional nominations at this year's show: Best Cinematography, Best Editing, and Best K-Pop. She was also nominated in Best K-Pop and Best Group alongside BLACKPINK for JUMP, giving her six total nominations across the night.

Later in the evening, she delivered the first live performance of SaWaDiKa, the lead single from her upcoming mini-album PRESS PLAY, due out on the 23rd. The track takes its name from the Thai greeting she used to open her speech, and the performance placed her on a lineup that also included Madonna, Shaboozey, Gunna, and Raye.