The ‘Seoul Music Awards’, where the present and future of K-Pop intersect, has grandly concluded.
On the 21st, the ‘34th Seoul Music Awards’ (hosted by Sports Seoul and organized by the Seoul Music Awards Organizing Committee) kicked off with a splendid ceremony at Incheon Inspire Arena, gifting unforgettable moments to fans around the world who love music.
This year’s ‘Seoul Music Awards’, held to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Sports Seoul, proved to be the most prestigious and traditional K-Pop awards ceremony in the country.
The stage featured a dazzling array of K-Pop artists including BTOB, BIBIUP, Say My Name, (G)I-DLE, ILY, Doyoung, NCT WISH, Young Tak, Wave to Earth, ZEROBASEONE, CRAVITY, KIKI, Kickflip, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, P1Harmony, FIFTY FIFTY, HATS TO HATS, Hwang Garam, QWER, and many more.
Presenters included popular actors such as Kang Yoo-seok, Kim Sung-cheol, Nam Gyu-ri, Park Joo-hyun, Byun Woo-seok, Cynthia, Ong Seong-wu, Jang Gyu-ri, Jang Ryu, and Jung Eun-chae, adding glamour to the event.
The highest honor, the ‘Grand Prize’, was awarded to the group (G)I-DLE. TOMORROW X TOGETHER won three awards including ‘Best Digital Song’, ‘Best Album’, and ‘Main Award’, reaffirming their global popularity. ZEROBASEONE also showcased their strength by winning ‘Best Album’ and ‘Main Award’, while ILY and NCT WISH received the ‘Best Group Award’ and ‘Main Award’. The ‘World Best Artist’ title was claimed by aespa and Rosé.
Additionally, the ‘K-Pop World Choice’ went to BABYMONSTER (Group category) and Young Tak (Solo category), with Young Tak also winning ‘Main Award’, ‘Trot Award’, and ‘OST Award’. Rosé also won ‘World Best Artist’ and ‘Main Award’, achieving two awards.
KIKI, Kickflip, and HATS TO HATS took home the ‘Rookie Award’, while RM won the ‘R&B Hip-Hop Award’. Hwang Garam received the ‘Ballad Award’, Wave to Earth won the ‘Band Award’, Say My Name was honored with the ‘Discovery of the Year Award’, CRAVITY and FIFTY FIFTY received the ‘Best Performance Award’, Doyoung won the ‘Best Solo Award’, BTOB received the ‘K-Pop Special Award’, Lee Chan-won won the ‘Popularity Award’, Jimin (BTS) received the ‘Hallyu Special Award’, and BIBIUP was awarded the ‘Rising Star Award’.
The ‘Main Award’ of the ‘Seoul Music Awards’ was given to a total of 18 teams including Doyoung, Rosé, SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, (G)I-DLE, IVE, ILY, aespa, NCT DREAM, NCT WISH, ENHYPEN, Young Tak, ZEROBASEONE, G-Dragon, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, PLAYB, P1Harmony, and QWER.
The MCs for the event were (G)I-DLE's Miyeon, WINNER's Kang Seung-yoon, and TOMORROW X TOGETHER's Soobin, who led the awards ceremony with perfect chemistry even in their first collaboration. The trio enhanced the atmosphere with witty remarks and stable hosting, presenting new possibilities for MC combinations.
The enhanced stage production and overwhelming visual effects also caught attention. Sensational performances, emotional ballads, and explosive trot stages transcended genres, proving that the ‘Seoul Music Awards’ is indeed the best festival in K-Pop.
This year, the ‘Seoul Music Awards’ saw the gathering of the ‘most shining stars’. Fans are already eagerly anticipating which stars will write new history at the upcoming 35th edition.
▲‘Grand Prize’ - (G)I-DLE
▲‘Best Digital Song’ - TOMORROW X TOGETHER
▲‘Best Album’ - ZEROBASEONE, TOMORROW X TOGETHER
▲‘World Best Artist’ - Rosé, aespa
▲‘K-POP WORLD CHOICE (Group)’ - BABYMONSTER
▲‘K-POP WORLD CHOICE (Solo)’ - Young Tak
▲‘Main Award’ - Doyoung, Rosé, SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, (G)I-DLE, IVE, ILY, aespa, NCT DREAM, NCT WISH, ENHYPEN, Young Tak, ZEROBASEONE, G-Dragon, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, PLAYB, P1Harmony, QWER
▲‘Rookie Award’ - KIKI, Kickflip, HATS TO HATS
▲‘R&B Hip-Hop Award’ - RM
▲‘Ballad Award’ - Hwang Garam
▲‘Trot Award’ - Young Tak
▲‘OST Award’ - Young Tak
▲‘Band Award’ - Wave to Earth
▲‘Discovery of the Year Award’ - Say My Name
▲‘Best Performance Award’ - CRAVITY, FIFTY FIFTY
▲‘Best Group Award’ - ILY, NCT WISH
▲‘Best Solo Award’ - Doyoung
▲‘K-Pop Special Award’ - BTOB
▲‘Popularity Award’ - Lee Chan-won
▲‘Hallyu Special Award’ - Jimin (BTS)
▲‘Rising Star Award’ - BIBIUP
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
