BLACKPINK’s Lisa Makes VMA History With Best Pop Win

BLACKPINK’s Lisa has made history at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, becoming the first Asian solo artist to win Best Pop. Lisa received the award for her solo single “DREAM,” featuring Japanese actor Sakaguchi Kentaro, during the September 27 ceremony at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

The achievement adds another international milestone to Lisa’s increasingly successful solo career. While she remains one of BLACKPINK’s four members, Lisa has spent the past several years establishing herself as a solo artist with a growing global presence across music, fashion and entertainment.

“DREAM” represents another step in that expansion. The song features Sakaguchi Kentaro, creating a collaboration that connects Lisa’s K-pop career with Japanese entertainment. Sakaguchi has also been attracting attention among Korean drama fans through his work in Korean productions, making the collaboration particularly notable for audiences following both K-pop and K-drama.

Lisa’s VMA victory is also significant within the broader history of the ceremony. According to Soompi, she becomes the second Asian artist overall to win Best Pop, while making history as the first Asian solo artist to claim the award.

The win comes during a particularly active period for Lisa. She has continued developing her solo catalogue independently from BLACKPINK’s group activities, while also maintaining a major international profile.

The 2026 VMAs were especially notable for K-pop representation. BTS won three awards, including Song of the Year and Best K-Pop, while CORTIS received nominations for Best New Artist and Best K-Pop.

Lisa’s victory therefore forms part of a broader night in which Korean artists occupied several major categories at one of the American music industry’s most visible awards ceremonies.

For BLACKPINK fans, it also provides another reminder of the individual achievements the members have accumulated while continuing their careers both as a group and separately.

Lisa is preparing for another major solo chapter with her upcoming EP “PRESS PLAY,” scheduled for October 23. With her VMA win now added to her résumé, expectations surrounding the next release are likely to be even higher.