NewJeans Leads with Most Nominations at Korean Popular Music Awards, Jungkook Shines in Four Categories

The 21st Korean Popular Music Awards (selected by Chairman Kim Kwang-hyun) announced the nominees this year as it celebrates its 21st edition. The announcement was broadcasted in the form of live streaming through the retail media platform Prism (PRIZM).

The Korean Popular Music Awards this year consisted of a total of 55 selection committee members, including Chairman Kim Kwang-hyun, popular music critics, journalists and editors covering music, music broadcast producers, and music content planners. A total of 26 awards in 3 categories are scheduled to be presented.

The musicians with the most nominations this year are ‘NewJeans‘, ‘Beenzino’, and ‘Silica Gel’, totaling three teams. They are nominated in comprehensive categories such as musicians, songs, and albums. Among them, ‘NewJeans’ is nominated in five categories, including Best K-pop Song and Album, ‘Beenzino’ in Best Rap & Hip-hop Song and Album, and ‘Silica Gel’ in Best Modern Rock Song and Album.

Also, ‘Jungkook‘ is nominated in four categories, including Best K-pop Song, Best K-pop Album, Musician of the Year, and Song of the Year.

‘Silica Gel’ and ‘KIRARA’ have been nominated for three consecutive years. ‘Hwang Puh-ha’ has nominated both ‘Fire’ and ‘I Can’t Speak’ for Best Folk Song. Pianist Vardan Ovsepian has two nominations with the albums ‘Lawless Heart’ with Jeon So-young and ‘Liminal Silence’ with Sunny Kim and Ben Monder.

Kang Tae-hwan has been selected for the 21st Korean Popular Music Awards Achievement Award. Kang Tae-hwan, known as one of the world’s top three free jazz saxophonists, has received high praise outside of Korea and has been actively engaged in activities for a long time since the 1970s, including conducting masterclasses for younger musicians.

Starting from this awards ceremony, the trophy for the Korean Popular Music Awards has undergone a transformation. The designer Kim Jong-beom, who designed the original trophy, redesigned it, giving it a shape that seems to have halved the original trophy. It is made of PLA material, making it not only more future-oriented than the previous trophy but also much lighter. The website also had the collaboration of the graphic design studio Everyday.

The 21st awards ceremony will be announced in a live broadcast format through the Prism retail media platform on February 29th at 8:00 PM.

List of nominees is as follows:

Best Pop Song:

1. DEAN – DIE 4 YOU
2. Parc Jae Jung – Let’s Say Goodbye
3. AKMU – Love Lee
4. Yun Seokcheol, Sejin – Cocktail Paradise
5. Yoon Jiyoung – In My Garden

Best Pop Album:

1. KIM SEJEONG – Door
2. Kim Suyoung – Round and Round
3. Parc Jae Jung – Alone
4. Yoon Jiyoung – In My Garden
5. Lee Jin Ah – Hearts of the City
6. cacophony – DIPUC

Best K-Pop Song:

1. NewJeans – Ditto
2. IVE – I AM
3. JungKook – Seven (feat. Latto)
4. FIFTY FIFTY – Cupid
5. H1-KEY – Rose Blossom

Best K-Pop Album:

1. NewJeans – Get Up
2. Billlie – the Billage of perception : chapter three
3. JungKook – GOLDEN
4. KISS OF LIFE – Born to be XX
5. TXT – The Name Chapter: FREEFALL

Record of the Year:

1. NewJeans – Get Up
2. Beenzino – NOWITZKI
3. Silica Gel – Machine Boy
4. Yeoyu and Seolbin – COMEDY
5. Lee Jin Ah – Hearts of the City

Song of the Year:

1. NewJeans – Ditto
2. Beenzino – Travel Again (Feat. Cautious Clay)
3. Silica Gel – Tik Tak Tok (Feat. So!YoON!)
4. JungKook – Seven (feat. Latto)
5. H1-KEY – Rose Blossom

Musician of the Year:

1. NewJeans
2. Beenzino
3. Silica Gel
4. wave to earth
5. JungKook
6. Carina Nebula

Rookie of the Year:

1. NO-LINK
2. dongyi
3. Mihyang Moon
4. HANEL
5. KISS OF LIFE
6. H1-KEY