CLOSE YOUR EYES Clinches 5 Rookie Awards This Year, Crowned IS Rookie of the Year at 2025 KGMA

Get ready for the phenomenal rise of CLOSE YOUR EYES! The group has officially achieved a spectacular five rookie awards this year, capping off their winning streak with the IS Rookie Award at the '2025 Korea Grand Music Awards with iM Bank' (2025 KGMA).

The prestigious ceremony took place on the 15th at the Incheon Inspire Arena, where CLOSE YOUR EYES solidified their status as a global sensation.

Their journey to the top includes earlier wins such as the K World Dream New Vision Award at the '2025 K World Dream Awards,' the Male Idol (Rookie) award at the '2025 Brand of the Year Awards,' the Hottest award at 'The Fact Music Awards (TMA),' and the New Wave Artist Award at 'TikTok Awards 2025.' The recent KGMA win marks their fifth rookie grand slam of the year, proving their immense popularity worldwide.

The KGMA, now in its second year, has quickly become a representative K-pop festival. Notably, CLOSE YOUR EYES had previously performed at the '2024 KGMA' as trainees from the JTBC audition program 'Project 7.' Returning just a year later after their successful debut, they shared a joyous reunion with their global fans.

The IS Rookie Award is presented to artists poised to lead the future of K-pop. CLOSE YOUR EYES has been on a roll, with their mini-albums 'ETERNALT,' 'Snowy Summer,' and 'blackout' achieving a combined total of over 1 million sales. Their latest release, 'blackout,' alone surpassed 550,000 copies, earning them the 'Half-Million Seller' title.

Accepting the award, the group expressed their gratitude: "We sincerely thank our agency family and staff who worked even harder than us. It's an honor to stand on the KGMA stage again as CLOSE YOUR EYES, just a year after performing here as trainees," they shared. "We believe this is all possible because of our beloved CLOSER (official fandom name) who supports us then and now. We want to say thank you and we love you. We will continue to grow and improve, so please show us your continued interest."

During the ceremony, CLOSE YOUR EYES delivered a powerful performance of 'X' and 'SOB,' double title tracks from their third mini-album 'blackout.' The performance of 'SOB,' a collaboration with Kazakhstan-based DJ Imanbek (known for his Grammy-nominated work), featured a special joint stage with Imanbek himself and a massive crew of 42 performers, igniting an explosive response from the global audience.

Adding to the excitement, they also presented a cover of BTS's 'Boy in Luv,' reinterpreting the iconic track with their unique style, sharp choreography, and captivating stage presence, truly demonstrating their prowess as a 'performance powerhouse.'

CLOSE YOUR EYES will continue to actively promote 'X,' one of the double title tracks from their latest mini-album 'blackout.'

Fans are celebrating the group's success, commenting things like "5 rookie awards? That's incredible!", "So proud of what they've achieved in just one year since debut", and "Can't wait to see what's next for CLOSE YOUR EYES!"