HYBE's global group &TEAM has proven its rapid growth by clinching its first trophy at a traditional Japanese music awards ceremony.
According to the list of winners announced on November 21 for the ‘67th Shine! Japan Record Awards’ (hereafter referred to as ‘Japan Record Awards’), &TEAM won the ‘Special International Music Award’. The ‘Special International Music Award’ is given to artists who have made significant global achievements throughout the year, not limited to a specific region, and &TEAM's accomplishments on the global stage, including Korea, were highly regarded.
The nine members, Yuju, Huma, Kay, Nicholas, Yuma, Jo, Harua, Taki, and Maki, expressed through their agency YX Labels, “We are truly honoured to receive our first award at the Japan Record Awards,” and added, “We thank all the fans who have always supported us and everyone who has been with us on this journey. We will strive to grow into a beloved national artist in Japan and show a proud image on the world stage.”
&TEAM is also achieving remarkable records in music activities. They achieved their first million seller with their third single ‘Go in Blind’, released in Japan last April, and successfully completed their first Asia tour, attracting about 160,000 people across 10 cities.
Their recently released Korean mini album ‘Back to Life’ sold 1.13 million copies on its first day, making &TEAM the first Japanese artist to record million seller status in both Korea and Japan.
Global indicators are also on the rise. According to YX Labels, the title track of ‘Back to Life’ has seen a 2.4 times increase in maximum listeners on Spotify in the US compared to their previous work ‘Go in Blind’ (as of November 7), and about 3.8 times on Apple Music (as of October 29). The American economic magazine Forbes introduced &TEAM as “the most attention-grabbing group right now,” highlighting their growth trend.
Having established themselves in the K-pop mainstream with their Korean mini album ‘Back to Life’, &TEAM continues to be busy at the year-end. They are set to perform at the ‘Music Bank Global Festival in Japan’ on December 14, the SBS ‘2025 Music Awards with Bithumb’ on December 25, and NHK’s ‘Kohaku Uta Gassen’ on December 31, decorating significant stages in succession.
