BLACKPINK’s Lisa has carved her name into MTV Video Music Awards history, becoming the first Asian solo artist to win Best Pop — and she is now turning that milestone into momentum for her solo EP “Press Play,” out October 23.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lisa took home the Best Pop trophy for “Dream,” featuring Japanese actor Kentaro Sakaguchi, at the 2026 ceremony held September 27 (local time) at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The win came in an all-female field stacked with global stars, including Ariana Grande, Charli XCX, Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, Tate McRae, and Taylor Swift, according to reports from the ceremony. BTS previously won Best Pop as a group in 2020, but Lisa is the first Asian and K-pop solo artist to claim the honor.
The trophy was one of four nominations Lisa carried into this year’s show — Best Pop, Best K-Pop, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing — and it marks her fourth career VMA trophy. MTV had identified her ahead of the ceremony as the most-nominated K-pop solo artist in VMA history, with 10 career nominations entering the night.
An emotional Lisa opened her acceptance speech with the Thai greeting “Sawatdee kha” before thanking MTV and her fans, known as Lilies. “All those late-night dreams brought me here today,” she said. “I wouldn’t be here without you guys.”
She then returned to the stage to deliver the first live performance of her new single “SaWaDiKa,” a show built on Muay Thai and boxing-inspired choreography. Performing in a red one-piece emblazoned with “Lisa Worldwide” against a backdrop filled with Bangkok references, she ended the set by climbing into a Thai tuk-tuk and riding off.
The milestone caps a record-setting VMA run for the Thai-born singer: Best K-Pop wins in 2022 with “Lalisa,” 2024 with “Rockstar,” and 2025 with “Born Again” featuring Doja Cat and RAYE, plus Song of the Year at the 2021 Asian Pop Music Awards for “Lalisa.” Five of her singles — “Lalisa,” “Money,” “Rockstar,” “Born Again,” and “Priceless” — have entered the Billboard Hot 100, and her 2025 release “Alter Ego” peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard 200.
Now she is betting that momentum carries into “Press Play.” The six-track EP opens with the pre-release “SaWaDiKa” — a title taken from the Thai greeting of her home country — and also includes “Cobra,” “Tarantino,” “Cut U Off,” and “Sweat,” with Lisa expected to show a distinctive musical color of her own.
Whether the VMA breakthrough converts into chart records will be answered starting October 23, when the EP arrives.
