As music festivals and year-end award ceremonies flood the scene, the stage is increasingly centered around idols, leading to growing disappointment among artists from other genres.
Currently, various media outlets and music platforms are holding numerous music award ceremonies in South Korea. Over a decade ago, the three major broadcasting companies abolished music award ceremonies due to fairness controversies and changed them to music festivals, yet the number of music award ceremonies has continued to increase each year.
It is natural for award ceremonies to focus on the teams that have achieved the best results and box office success that year. However, year-end award ceremonies also hold the significance of being a music festival, showcasing a variety of music.
What sets recent music award ceremonies apart from those in the past is that they are entirely filled with performances by idol groups from start to finish. Although it is defined as K-pop, the music presented is solely idol dance music. The glory of the past, where both dance and ballad genres were showcased equally, is no longer present.
For this reason, some ballad singers and artists from other genres express that performing on the award ceremony stage feels awkward and uncomfortable.
One ballad singer expressed disappointment, saying, “I want to share my songs with many people, but there is no space to showcase them other than concerts.” Another artist from the ballad genre voiced concern, stating, “Isn’t this a place for idol singers? What song can we sing? It will only bring the mood down.”
Looking at the ratio of performers at the award ceremonies, it is mostly 8 (idols) to 2 (artists from other genres) when divided into ten parts. Even this is often just for the purpose of presenting awards, with performances being omitted in many cases.
Not only at award ceremonies but also in general music ranking shows, idol singers dominate the lineup. This is why artists from other genres are reluctant to participate and feel awkward.
Some have suggested that there should be a genre quota for artists participating in music broadcasts and award ceremonies. A music industry insider pointed out, “The diversity of music is disappearing more each year. The size of fandoms determines the success of music, and opportunities to showcase their work are decreasing, making it even harder for artists from other genres to pursue their careers.”
It can be said that there is no stage where popular music from each genre can be heard together. While it is important for music to reach the public through digital platforms, the appeal of live performances is also significant. The award ceremony organizers seem to overlook the potential to showcase a more diverse range of music.
A cultural critic, who requested anonymity, strongly criticized, “In a way, aren’t award ceremonies just businesses? Broadcasters focus on ratings and filling seats in venues to generate revenue, long abandoning the fundamental meaning of award ceremonies, which is to showcase diverse music.”
There is a trend of expanding the scale of award ceremonies beyond South Korea to places like Japan and the United States. This is merely to enhance the image and reputation of the ceremonies. Some award ceremonies, which have only been held once or twice, are already planning to host them overseas starting next year.
If we truly want to promote K-pop globally, perhaps it is more important to showcase a variety of attractive stages that can only be presented by domestic music rather than focusing on the scale of the events.
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
