LISA Wins Best Pop at 2026 MTV VMAs for 'Dream'
LISA won Best Pop at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, Sept. 27 for “Dream” featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi, Billboard reported after the ceremony.
She accepted in tears. She thanked MTV for the honour. She then thanked her fans, known as Lilies, and said she would not be here without them. The moment was brief. The message was direct.
The category was crowded. She was nominated alongside Ariana Grande, Olivia Rodrigo, Charli XCX and Taylor Swift. LISA took the prize from that full pop field.
She entered the night as the most-nominated K-pop act, with four nominations in total, according to Khaosod English. Alongside Best Pop, her nominations included Best K-pop and Best Cinematography, the award that recognises the visual craft behind a video. Nominations were announced in August. Winners were scheduled to be revealed on Sunday, September 27 at 7:30 ET.
Voting was organised through vote.mtv.com and began at or around 9:00 AM ET on Aug. 18, 2026. That public vote helps decide the fan-voted categories. It closed ahead of the Sunday show.
“Dream” appears on Alter Ego, LISA’s debut studio album, her first full-length record, which was released in February 2025. The song reached No. 16 on the Japan Heatseekers Songs chart and No. 20 on the Japan Hot Shot Songs chart. Both charts measure momentum for newer and fast-rising tracks in Japan, a useful read on how a song is travelling with listeners.
The video was made as a short film. It stars LISA and Sakaguchi and was directed by Ojun Kwon. It premiered on Aug. 13, 2025, giving it more than a year to find an audience before awards night. The format allowed a longer story than a standard performance clip.
The win extends a steady run at the ceremony. She won Best K-pop at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards for “Born Again” featuring Doja Cat and RAYE. She had previously won Best K-pop for “Lalisa” and “Rockstar.” Each of those titles lists its featured artists in full, the credit that signals a guest performance.
What makes this stand out is the lane. Her earlier trophies came in Best K-pop. This one came in Best Pop, against some of the most-played names in Western pop.
