Winner (band)


Winner is a South Korean boy band, consisting of four members: Kim Jin-woo, Lee Seung-hoon, Song Min-ho, and Kang Seung-yoon.
The group was formed in 2013 by YG Entertainment and Mnet's WIN: ''Who Is Next, releasing their debut album, 2014 S/S, in 2014. The album topped the Gaon Album Chart, and its single "Empty" topped the Gaon Digital Chart.
Winner has received awards from the Melon Music Awards, the Style Icon Awards, and the MTV Asia Music Gala. "Really Really" from Fate Number For'', surpassed 100 million streams on the Gaon Music Chart and sold over 2.5 million digital copies in South Korea.
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History

2010–2013: Formation and early activities

Following the launch of YG Entertainment's Big Bang and 2NE1, the label conducted global and private auditions to form its next act. After three years, the prospective lineup was announced. Kang Seung-yoon and Lee Seung-hoon, known from Superstar K2 and K-pop Star, respectively, were revealed as members. Kim Jin-woo was scouted by Big Bang's Seungri at his academy, leading to a YG audition in 2010. Nam Tae-hyun joined through a 2011 audition. Song Min-ho joined the lineup in 2013.
The group's debut process was documented in Mnet's WIN: Who Is Next, a reality competition show that pitted two teams of trainees against each other for the chance to debut under YG Entertainment and serve as the opening act for Big Bang's Japan Dome Tour. Over the course of 100 days, the teams competed in three rounds of performances and public voting. They were evaluated and mentored by YG Family artists, including Taeyang and G-Dragon. The finale was broadcast live from the SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium, hosted by Daesung and Yoo In-na, with over 3,000 attendees. It featured the teams' self-composed works, "Go Up" and "Climax", which entered the Gaon Digital Chart at numbers 8 and 12, respectively. On October 25, "Team A" was announced as the winner. "Team B" later debuted as iKon under YG Entertainment in 2015.
At the end of 2013, the group opened for Big Bang on the Japan Dome Tour. During this period, they held their first official event, "Hello! Winner", greeting 300 fans within an audience of 8,000 in Osaka. Winner later appeared as guest performers for 2NE1's All or Nothing World Tour in Seoul on March 1–2, 2014, while filming Winner TV, which documented their debut preparation and lifestyle. They later joined additional 2NE1 tour stops in Asia, and performed at the YG Family Power World Tour in Osaka on April 12, 2014.

2014–2016: ''2014 S/S'', international recognition, and Nam's departure

Eight months after the conclusion of WIN: Who is Next, the quintet was reintroduced to the public between June and August 2014. Following a series of teasers and photos, the band held a launch showcase with an audience of 400 attendees at the Conrad Seoul Hotel on August 6, 2014 to introduce the band's music and look. The showcase involved a fashion show with models from YG KPlus, and the members walking down a catwalk. It was recognized by the Red Dot Design Awards for being the first-ever artist debut to utilize a fashion launch concept, winning them the artist's debut branding category.
On August 17, 2014, Winner officially debuted with the singles "Empty" and "Color Ring". They had their first television performance on the same day. Five days after their debut, the group won on the music show M Countdown. 2014 S/S debuted atop the Gaon Album Chart and many international music charts, including the Billboard World Albums Chart. They also debuted at number six on Billboard's Heatseekers Chart. On the Gaon Digital Chart, "Empty" and "Color Ring" charted at 1st and 3rd place respectively, and the former remained at number one for two consecutive weeks. "Don't Flirt" became the most downloaded B-side on the platform at the time. On September 10, 2014, the band released a Japanese version of the album, which peaked at number two on the Oricon Albums Chart. The following day, they embarked on their first Japan tour, which concluded in Tokyo on October 11, 2014, with a total of 50,000 attendees. They were selected as one of the ten best artists of the year at the 2014 Melon Music Awards, in addition to winning multiple Best New Artist awards at the 29th Golden Disc Awards and 4th Gaon Chart Music Awards, among others. Abroad, they were awarded the Best New Force Group at the QQ Music Awards and the Most Popular Korean Group at the Youku Tudou Young Choice 2014. The band was also listed as one of the thirteen top breakout artists of 2014 by Fuse.
From January 10, 2015, the ensemble commenced their first fan meeting tour titled "WWIC". They visited 4,000 fans at their first stop in Beijing, and 6,500 fans in Shanghai the following week. The fan meeting tour's success resulted in a surge in popularity of the band's profile on Weibo, leading the group to add a stop in Shenzhen on January 24, 2015. Lee Seung-hoon, who was absent from the previous stops due to health reasons, was present at their fan meeting at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul on January 31, alongside 10,000 fans. The fan event was further expanded to regions including Osaka on February 20 and 21, and Tokyo the following day. In total, the tour attracted an audience of 31,500 people across the three countries. The band was later presented with a branding design prize for "WWIC 2015" from the IF Product Design Award 2016 in Germany. In September 2015, the group embarked on their second Japan fan meeting tour, where they greeted over 36,000 attendees across ten cities.
The group was scheduled to release five 'project releases' in 2016. The first, a duet featuring Mino and Nam titled "Pricked," was released on January 11, 2016. In the lead-up to the first installation of their project, entitled "Exit Movement", many musical covers of their lead singles, "Sentimental" and "Baby Baby", were released as promotional teasers by artists such as Dean, Zion.T, and G-Dragon. Released on February 1, 2016, Winner's EP, Exit: E, debuted atop the Gaon Album Chart, and at number two on Billboards World Albums Chart. Its lead singles topped all eight music streaming platforms in South Korea and achieved a real-time "all-kill." In China, "Baby Baby" became the most-streamed song within the first half of the year among Korean releases on QQ Music. Winner held their first-ever concert tour in Korea starting on March 12 and 13 at Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul. The group also held shows in Gwangju, Daegu, and Busan in April. In June 2016, the group brought their Exit Tour to Japan, attracting over 36,000 fans.
Winner's variety show Half-Moon Friends, which aired on JTBC, gained popularity both in Korea and abroad, garnering over 75 million views via Miaopai and surpassing 100 million views through other platforms in China alone. Their success in the country won them the Overseas Popularity Award at the MTV Asia Music Gala. In October 2016, Nam took a break from the group due to mental health reasons, and the rest of the "Exit Movement" series was delayed indefinitely. He officially departed from the band on November 25, resulting in the project's cancellation.

2017–2019: Reformation, continued success, and the first world tour

After a 14-month hiatus, the group returned as a quartet on April 4, 2017, with Fate Number For. The music video for the title track, "Really Really", was filmed by director Dave Meyers. The single debuted atop the Gaon Digital Chart and hit number three on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales, marking the group's highest position to date. It went on to surpass 100 million streams, making Winner the first ever male idol group in history to achieve that feat while keeping their "Chart-In" status. It was also chosen to be on Apple Music's "Best of the Week" list. To commemorate the album's release, Winner held a three-day "concept showroom" showcase at Club NB in Seoul from April 2 to 4. On May 31st, they released their debut Japanese single album, which contained Japanese renditions of "Really Really" and "Fool". On August 4, Winner released their second single album, Our Twenty For, which included the lead singles, "Love Me Love Me" and "Island". The former was chosen by Dazed Digital as one of the 20 best K-pop songs of 2017.
Through tvN's New Journey to the West 4, Mino's wish to appear on Youth Over Flowers with his fellow Winner members was granted as a special supplementary show. Filming for Winner's Youth Over Flowers took place in Western Australia, while airing began on November 7.
On February 7, 2018, Winner released their first Japanese studio album, Our Twenty For, which included new Japanese songs, "Raining" and "Have a Good Day", and embarked on their third Japan tour, "We'll Always Be Young". On April 4, Winner released their second studio album Everyday with a lead single of the same name. The album includes Korean versions of "Raining" and "Have a Good Day". The lead single "Everyday" was the group's first time experimenting with the trap genre, and they reunited with director Dave Meyers for its music video. On June 17, Winner held a fan meeting, "WWIC 2018," 3 years after their last event in 2015. A total of 6,000 tickets were sold. On July 4, Winner announced their first-ever world tour, Everywhere, starting in Seoul on August 19, and followed by seven stops throughout Asia. The tour resumed in January 2019 with an encore tour in Seoul. The same month, Winner expanded their Everywhere tour to North America, beginning in Seattle and stopping in six other cities, including Los Angeles, Dallas, and Toronto.
On December 19, Winner returned with the single album Millions, with a lead single of the same name. Millions claimed the number two spot on Gaon and received six music show wins.
On May 15, Winner released their second EP We, alongside lead single "Ah Yeah." The single received generally positive reviews. During this comeback, the group entered the Gaon Chart with a triple crown. "Ah Yeah" peaked at number one on the Gaon Download Chart and two on the Digital Chart, while the EP claimed number one on the Album Chart, selling over 129,000 physical copies. On June 29, the group held another private stage, WWIC 2019. It was held twice in one day at Jangchung Arena in Seoul. On July 3, 2019, Winner commenced their concert tour in Japan. It began with a concert at Nakano Sun Plaza in Tokyo and concluded on September 16 at Marine Messe in Fukuoka. The tour garnered a total audience of 50,000 attendees in eight cities.
Winner released their third EP Cross with the lead single "Soso" on October 23. Their Asian tour, the "Cross Tour," began in Seoul on October 26, and visited nine Asian cities through February 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, their stop in Singapore was cancelled, followed by the cancellation of their Seoul encore concert. This led the group to hold a free live concert online entitled "Winner Cross Special Live" on Naver V Live on February 14, 2020. They performed for about two hours, garnering 1 million viewers. Originally, the "Cross Tour" focused on a "spy" concept, with two different set lists arranged for two different days. The set lists were differentiated through the symbols "x" and "+," alluding to a "cross" symbol.

2020–present: Military enlistment and releases

For Winner's third full-length album, Remember, a pre-release digital single entitled "Hold" was released on March 26, 2020. It charted number one on several music streaming platforms, including Naver, Bugs, and Soribada. Its accompanying music video stars Lee Su-hyun of AKMU playing the band's little sister. To promote the single, the four-piece created the "Ddeum Challenge" on TikTok, which trended and attracted the attention of celebrities such as 2NE1's Sandara Park, model Hyoni Kang, and CIX's Seunghun and Hyunsuk. Released on April 9, Remember contained eight tracks, including a lead single of the same name, the pre-release single "Hold", and four re-recorded singles from their debut album, 2014 S/S. The album earned the group their highest first-week sales since their debut.
In August 2021, following the end of Winner's seven-year contract with YG Entertainment, the members renewed their contracts for five more years. On February 18, 2022, YG Entertainment announced the band's first concert in two years, which was held at the KSPO Dome in Seoul on April 30 and May 1. The latter date was also available on online streaming. Winner returned on July 5, 2022, with their fourth EP Holiday and its lead single "I Love U". On December 11, 2022, YG Entertainment announced that Winner would hold an online concert "Winner Live Stage " on December 29, 2022.
On April 2, 2020, Kim Jin-woo enlisted for Korean mandatory military service. As a result, the group's activities were paused indefinitely. Two weeks later, Lee Seung-hoon became the second member to enlist on April 16, 2020. Kim and Lee were discharged from their duties on December 31, 2021, and January 15, 2022, respectively. On March 2, 2023, YG Entertainment announced that Mino would enlist on March 24, 2023, and serve as a social worker. On May 24, 2023, YG Entertainment further announced that Kang Seung-yoon would enlist on June 20, 2023, as an active duty soldier. Both Mino and Seung-yoon were discharged in December 2024.
Soon after Mino's discharge, allegations of "negligent service" surfaced for him saying that, while he was a social worker, he had frequently left work without notice, taken excessive sick leave, and was generally absent from his duties. The MMA subsequently requested a police investigation into the claims. Mino admitted to at least some of the allegations and it was announced in April 2025 that he may have to re-enlist. On December 31, 2025, it was announced that Mino had been indicted on charges of violating Korea's Military Service Act. Trial is set to commence in early 2026.

Artistry

Musicality and songwriting

Winner is characterized as having a wide musical range. Beginning their career with mid-tempo melancholic music such as "Empty" and "Color Ring" and blues with "Baby Baby", they broadened to genre expressions like alternative rock, tropical house, and disco. Their debut album 2014 S/S, highlighted several genres, including hip hop, ballad, reggae, dance, and R&B.
All of the members have been credited for their participation in production, composition, and songwriting. Their self-written material mainly focuses on themes of love, hope, everyday life stories, and consolation. Kang Seung-yoon, who oversees the group's overall production, is often cited as their producer. In an interview with Vice, Kang shared what he believes differentiates them from other groups: "We incorporate our honest feelings and thoughts—the depth of it if someone else makes your song for you, versus being involved yourself as a writer we've been putting ourselves into it." Songs like "Air", "Millions", and "I Love U", were inspired by experiences with fans. Songs like "Sentimental" and "Baby Baby" were influenced by the "analog emotions" from artists like The Rolling Stones, Kim Hyun-sik, and Yoo Jae-ha, while "Ah Yeah" was inspired by the film Very Ordinary Couple.

Image and choreography

Winner has described their artistic style as more emotional and muted, as compared to the extravagant aesthetics of other idol groups. Members of Winner occasionally contribute to the choreography in most of their songs, especially member Lee Seung-hoon. Lee choreographed their debut lead singles, "Empty" and "Color Ring", and "Fool". The group has collaborated with choreographer Oth'than Burnside for the lead singles "Really Really" and "Everyday". The dance crew Kinjaz was also a collaborator on "Everyday".

Impact and influence

Some media outlets have credited Winner with popularizing limited-edition album packaging in the entertainment industry. For university festival season in Korea, Mersenne, a company that casts artists, disclosed Winner were the only requested male idol group alongside iKon in 2018. In April 2019, five companies that worked on university festival casting, Mersenne, Innobay, 2M, Waikiki, and Top Plan, stated Winner was the only male idol group sought out that year. Other artists have cited Winner as a role model or influence, including Tag and Hong Joo-chan of Golden Child, A.C.E's Dong-hun, JBJ's Jin Longguo, Signal, Yongha of WEi, and MustB.

Other ventures

Endorsements

Winner has worked with numerous brands, including NII, Fanta, Adidas, Elite, Pizza Etang, Ellesse, Café DropTop, Oreo, and De Medicotem. They have also participated in promotional campaigns for 8Seconds, Calvin Klein, the Korean Culture and Information Service, and Kiehl's, and collaborated with the mobile gaming platform, Dancevil.
The act has designed products for several of their brand campaigns, as well as recorded commercial jingles. In 2018 and 2019, the members of Winner designed Kiehl's product labels for its "Nature and the City" environmental campaign, Café Droptop's exclusive products and merchandise, and Adidas' t-shirts for its "Seoul Pack" project. In 2019, Winner sang the Korean rendition of Oreo's "We are Oreo People" for its commercial.
In 2016, they were selected as an "icon of all time" for the most memorable school uniform commercial for their work with Elite. In 2017, Ellesse generated ₩14 billion for their year-end sales, increasing its revenue by 160% in comparison to its past year. Furthermore, a boost in younger customers was also observed, alongside inquiries from Asia, resulting in discussions to export their Korean products to their headquarters across the continent. That same year, 8Seconds's padded coats experienced an influx of sales, selling over 6,000 pieces in two weeks. In 2018, Talk Talk Korea garnered its most participants in its history since its launch in 2014. That same year, Café Droptop cited the popularity their product collaborations with Winner received and the long lines the café experienced. In 2019, the band was credited for the expansion of Oreo's commercial, which aired in eight additional countries. In 2020, De Medicotem's sales for its "Seven Hydro Zenith Mask" rose.

Philanthropy

The charitable organizations that Winner actively donates to include: Mapo District Office, Korea Animal Rights Advocates, Cheolsan Social Welfare Center, Seoul Food Bank, and Coal Bank. At their fan meeting "WWIC 2018", they supplied 5.95 tons of rice and 100 kilograms of animal feed along with 35.865 tons of rice, 2,840 packets of ramen, 48 cans of powdered milk, 1.604 tons of animal feed, 20 kilograms of cat food, 1,290 eggs, and 180 briquettes with the band's fan club, to youth protection facilities, single mothers, and the elderly. The band has also donated profits attained through merchandise sales to KARA. Winner has donated goods to several charity events, including the "Creating a Better World With Stars" in 2014, where proceeds were donated to Good Neighbors, a humanitarian organization that helps single mothers and child welfare, "Made In Heaven" in 2019, organized by Sean of Jinusean and his wife, Jung Hye-young, where profits were used to cover the care expenses of 100 children, the "SAC Pet Festival" bazaar, and "Flower Response " in 2020, held by Big Bang's Taeyang, where proceeds were donated to Love Snail Charity, a social welfare organization dedicated to help provide cochlear implants and hearing aids to those in need.
The band collaborated with photographer Choi Se-hon on the 2014 project "The Letter from Angels", alongside Kangnam, Lee Kwang-soo, Yoo Yeon-seok, and Lee Seo-jin, to promote local adoption. They also partnered with a clothing brand NII and photo studio "Thank You Studio" for the animal campaign "Happiness," which donated all proceeds to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and the charity event YG X UNICEF Walking Festival in 2017, which garnered 5,000 participants, where all profits were donated to the Korean Committee of UNICEF to treat children and adolescents with malnutrition.

Ambassadorship

Discography

2014 S/S Everyday

Filmography

WIN: Who Is Next Winner TV Half-Moon Friends Youth Over Flowers YG Future Strategy Office Winner Vacation - Hoony Tour W-Log Bingo Trip Winner Vacation - Bell Boys Real Now-Winner Edition
  • Artist Way

Concerts and tours

Headlining tours
  • Zepp Tour in Japan
  • Japan Tour
  • Exit Tour
  • Japan Tour 2018 ~We'll always be young~
  • Everywhere World Tour
  • Winner Japan Tour
  • Cross Tour
Concerts
  • Winner 2022 Concert
Joint tours
Opening act / guest performer