The 21st Korean Music Awards has released its full list of nominees, with notable artists including NewJeans, BTS member Jungkook, and H1-KEY, among others. The annual ceremony celebrates both mainstream and underground musicians across various genres, with an awards distribution based on the panel’s recommendations. This year’s ceremony will take place on February 29th and will be streamed live on the PRIZM app.
Among the nominees for the Musician of the Year award are NewJeans, Beenzino, Silica Gel, Jungkook, Carina Nebula, and wave to earth. Silica Gel, NewJeans, H1-KEY, Beenzino, and Jungkook have been nominated for Song of the Year, while NewJeans, Beenzino, Lee Jin-ah, Silica Gel, and Yeoyu and Seolbin are up for Album of the Year. Nominees for the Rookie of the Year award include dongyi, HANEL, H1-KEY, KISS OF LIFE, Moon Mi-hyang, and NO.LINK.
Additionally, the ceremony will acknowledge the best in Best Pop, K-pop, Rap and Hip-hop, R&B and Soul, Electronic, Rock, Modern Rock, Folk, Metal and Hardcore, Global Contemporary, Jazz – Vocal, and Jazz – Instrumental music. Nominees include AKMU, DEAN, JUNGWOO, limbonabeat!, Ensemble SINAWI, and Lee Soo-jung, among many others.
NewJeans, BTS’s Jungkook, H1-KEY, Silica Gel, and Beenzino have received numerous nominations each, including five nominations for NewJeans and Silica Gel, while H1-KEY was nominated for the prestigious Song of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards, along with their Best K-pop Song nomination for ‘Rose Blossom’.
Korean girl group NewJeans stood out last year after earning both the Best K-pop Song and Album accolades, as well as the Rookie of the Year. Meanwhile, Silica Gel won the Best Modern Rock Song for their single ‘NO PAIN’.
The Korean Music Awards has established itself as a representation of the industry’s tides, with a panel of respected industry professionals who base the distribution of awards strictly on music excellence. The ceremony is not only a celebration of modern music, but also the collaboration of diverse musical artists and cultures
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