Lisa Makes VMAs History as First Asian Soloist to Win Best Pop

Outlets report Lisa's 'Dream' won Best Pop at the 2026 VMAs, making her the first Asian solo artist to take the category, alongside a 'SaWaDiKa' stage debut.

At the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards on September 27 at Los Angeles' Peacock Theater, BLACKPINK's Lisa won Best Pop for "Dream," her collaboration with Japanese actor Kentaro Sakaguchi. The Independent reports she beat a field that included Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and Olivia Rodrigo, becoming the first Asian solo artist to win the category. Music Times, citing Yonhap, notes that while BTS previously won Best Pop as a group in 2020, Lisa is the first Asian soloist and first K-pop soloist to claim it. Presenter Teyana Taylor announced the win, and The Independent describes Lisa as visibly emotional as she accepted the trophy.

The award moves Lisa beyond the K-pop-specific category where she built her record. Music Times reports she previously won Best K-Pop as a solo artist in 2022, 2024 and 2025, making the Best Pop honor her fourth career VMA trophy, and that MTV identified her ahead of the show as the most-nominated K-pop solo artist in VMA history with 10 career nominations. The Independent adds a historical layer: Lisa's win as the first K-pop solo artist in the category came six years after BTS became the first K-pop act to win Best Pop. Hanteo News frames the broader significance, noting her Best Pop win was the second for an Asian artist in the category after BTS in 2020.

Onstage, Lisa thanked MTV and her fanbase, known as Lilies. The Independent quotes her: "All those late-night dreams brought me here today," and "To my Lilies, I wouldn't be here without you guys. Thank you so much for your love and support." She then returned to the stage to perform "SaWaDiKa," her new hip-hop single named after the Thai greeting "sawatdee ka," meaning hello. Music Times confirms the performance marked the track's television debut, while The Independent reports the song, released earlier this month, is set to feature on her forthcoming EP Press Play, due October 23.

The Best Pop win lands during a busy stretch for the Thai singer, rapper and dancer, who balances her solo career with BLACKPINK. The Independent details her solo discography: debut album Lalisa in 2021, followed by Alter Ego in 2025 and Press Play due this October. It also reports that BLACKPINK, which debuted in 2016, reunited this year for its third mini album, Deadline. Music Times adds that her latest victory is notable because it moves her beyond the K-pop-specific category in which she had already established herself as a dominant contender, extending a run that began when she became the first K-pop soloist to win a VMA in 2022.

For context on how Lisa's win fit the wider ceremony, Hanteo News classifies Song of the Year among the VMAs' principal categories, and that top prize went to BTS for "SWIM," meaning K-pop artists held two of the marquee pop trophies. Music Times reports the Best Pop trophy was among the six competitive awards presented during the televised CBS and MTV broadcast, alongside Video of the Year, Artist of the Year, Best Collaboration, Best Dance and Best New Artist. The Manila Times' winners list carried by Newswav shows Taylor Swift taking Video of the Year for "The Fate of Ophelia" and Madonna earning Artist of the Year, giving Lisa's category win a place in one of the night's most-watched segments.

Beyond that, The Independent notes Lisa's dual-track year — a BLACKPINK reunion with Deadline and a string of solo releases — suggesting the Best Pop breakthrough could set up further crossover nominations. Music Times frames the trajectory explicitly, saying the 2026 victory showed her expanding footprint at the awards show and placed another historic first beside her name, from first K-pop soloist VMA winner in 2022 to crossing into Best Pop four years later.