The 19th Korean Music Awards ceremony recently took place on March 1. The KMAs recognises artists based not on record sales, as other South Korean music award shows, but on the recommendations of a panel composed of music critics, radio show producers and other music industry professionals.
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The year’s awards saw rookie girl group aespa dominate the ceremony, with the quartet taking home the Rookie Of The Year award, as well as Song Of The Year and Best K-Pop song for âNext Levelâ. IU, meanwhile, bagged Best Pop Album for âLilacâ and was one of the Best Pop Song awardees for âNakkaâ, her collaboration with AKMU.
In addition, BTS took home the Artist of the Year award for the third time in their career. They previously won the category in 2019 and 2018. Chung Ha also walked home a winner, taking the trophy for Best K-pop album with âQuerenciaâ.
The four K-pop acts, particularly IU and BTS, have achieved great results at most of South Koreaâs awards shows for 2021, including the Mnet Asian Music Awards, Melon Music Awards and the Golden Disc Awards.

The 19th Korean Music Awards winners are as follows:
Album of the Year
âNext Episodeâ, AKMU
âCity Breeze & Love Songâ, Kim Hyun-chul
âDrownedâ, Chun Yong-sung
âLilacâ, IU
âThere is a Wolfâ, Lang Lee â Winner
Song of the Year
âButterâ, BTS
âNakkaâ, AKMU ft. IU
âNext Levelâ, aespa â Winner
âThere is a Wolfâ, Lang Lee
âTraffic Lightâ, Lee Mu-jin
Musician of the Year
BTS â Winner
IU
Kim Hyun-chul
Lang Lee
The Volunteers
Rookie of the Year
aespa â Winner
Haepaary
Lee Mu-jin
STAYC
Since
Best K-Pop Album
âAlphaâ, CL
âAtlantisâ, SHINee
âBetterâ, BoA
âQuerenciaâ, Chungha â Winner
âSavageâ, aespa
Best K-Pop Song
â0X1=Lovesong (I Know I Love You)â, Tomorrow X Together
âASAPâ, STAYC
âAfter Schoolâ, Weeekly
âButterâ, BTS
âNext Levelâ, aespa â Winner
Best Pop Album
âCity Breeze & Love Songâ, âKim Hyun-chul
âFragileâ, eAeon
âLilacâ, IU â Winner
âNext Episodeâ, AKMU
âNight Drivingâ, Jeong Cha-sik
Best Pop Song
âHow Could Youâ, Lee Seung-hwan and Sunwoo Jung-a
âLilacâ, IU
âNakkaâ, AKMU ft. IU â Winner
âTraffic Lightâ, Lee Mu-jin
âWhen This Rain Stopsâ, Wendy

Best Rock Album
âChilgasalâ, Pakk
âExile of iZmâ, Atom Music Heart
âHappiness, Flowerâ, âSoumbalgwang â Winner
âPsyche of Eonsâ, Zeonpasa
âTrapâ, Trap
Best Rock Song
âDanceâ, Soumbalgwang â Winner
âLieâ, Zeonpasa
âNoon Momentâ, Badlamb
âOne Cornerâ, Trap
âRock & Roll Nightâ, âWabi King ft. Shin Young
Best Modern Rock Album
âSandâ, Bosudong Cooler
âThe Borderline Between Hope and Despairâ, Wings of the Isang â Winner
âThe Land of Fantasyâ, Jannabi
âThe Volunteersâ, The Volunteers
âWaveâ, Yang Chang-keun
Best Modern Rock Song
âDancing in the Rainâ, âMeaningful Stone
âDesert Eagleâ, Silica Gel â Winner
âFarewell, My Books!â, Leaves Black
âLet Me Go!â, The Volunteers
âTwenty Years Oldâ, Wings of the Isang
Best Electronic Album
âBorn By Gorgeousnessâ, Haepaary â Winner
âEarwitnessâ, Joyul
âMonikaâ, Leesuho
âOwhereâ, Haihm
âShinpaâ, Net Gala
Best Electronic Song
âForest Illuminationâ, Doildoshi
âGo to GPD and Thenâ, Haepaary â Winner
âHRTâ, Kirara
âThe Song of Hopeâ, Eobchae
âTomâ, Moonsun
Best Rap and Hip-Hop Album
âFragmentâ, Mild Beats
âIndependent Musicâ, Choi LB â Winner
âNet, Trap, Launcher, Captureâ, Unofficialboyy & Haifhaif
âSkandalouzâ, Los
âUnderground Rockstarâ, Changmo
Best Rap and Hip-Hop Song
â420 Flowâ, Bill Stax ft. Lobonabeat
âBlue Lemonadeâ, Los ft. Hwaji
âDaebak Lifeâ, Don Mills ft. Northfacegawd, Uneducated Kid
âSpring Rainâ, Since ft. Rakon
âTaijiâ, Changmo â Winner
Best R&B and Soul Album
âA.M.P.â, Jerd
âCircleâ, Mind Combined
âDonât Die Colorsâ, Thama â Winner
âItâs Not Your Faultâ, Dvwn
âMiniseriesâ, Sumin & Slom
âPreciousâ, Sogumm
Best R&B and Soul Song
âBlessedâ, Thama ft. G.Soul
âH.K.S.T.â, Lee Hi ft. Wonstein
âMimiâ, Youra
âThe Gonlan Songâ, âSumin & Slom â Winner
âTime Goes Byâ, Hiko ft. George
Best Folk Album
âBalladâ, Lee Joo-young
âCosmosâ, Jeon Ho-kwon
âDrownedâ, Chun Yong-sung
âPetrichorâ, Jang Pill-soon
âThere is a Wolfâ, Lang Lee â Winner
Best Folk Song
âBarley Teaâ, Chun Yong-sung ft. Kang Mal-geum â Winner
âItâs Snowingâ, Lee Joo-young ft. Earip
âPetrichorâ, Jang Pill-soon
âThe Generation of Tribulationâ, Lang Lee
âThere is a Wolfâ, Lang Lee
Best Jazz Album
âBlue Flowerâ, Lee Jiyeun Jazz Orchestra
âDaring Mindâ, Jihye Lee Orchestra â Winner
âPseudoscienceâ, SB Circle
âThe New Old Oneâ, Yongseok Lee
âThings We Lost & Foundâ, Nam Yoo-sun
Best Jazz Vocal Album
âGolden Rulesâ, Golden Swing Band
âLove, Like A Songâ, Bu-young Lee
âMy Funny Valentine: Kim Ju-hwan Sings Richard Rodgers Songbookâ, Kim Ju-hwan
âWe All Started in Jazz Clubâ, Korea Jazz Guardians
âWith Strings: Dream of Youâ, Maria Kim â Winner
Best Metal and Hardcore Album
â1st Albumâ, Slant
âDetritus of Elysian Creationâ, Ambroxiak
âHegemony Shift,â Agnes â Winner
âLibera Meâ, Hammering
âNecrosisâ, Spit On My Tomb
âWho Defines What’s Divineâ, Crux
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