Regarded as one of the most prestigious awards in the country, the Korean Music Awards is an annual ceremony honoring both mainstream and underground music artists from a variety of genres. Unlike many other South Korean music awards, which primarily focus on sales to determine the winners, the Korean Music Awards consider musical achievement as its main selection criterion. The ceremony selects the winners based on the recommendations of a panel of judges from music critics, radio show producers, academia and other industry professionals.
The 19th Korean Music Awards was organized on 1 March by the Korean Music Awards Selection Committee, and sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency. Espa, BTS, and indie folk singer Lang Lee were the big winners of the night, with Espa winning two of the four big awards.
Check out the full list of winners below:
Album of the Year: Lang Lee (There's a Wolf)
Artist of the Year: BTS
Song of the Year: Espa (Next Level)
Rookie of the Year: Espas
Best K-Pop Album: Chung Ha (Querencia)
Best K-Pop Song: Espa (Next Level)
Best Rock Album: Soumbalgwang (Happiness, Flower)
Best Rock Song: Soumbalgwang (Dance)
Best Modern Rock Album: Wings of the ISANG (The Borderline Between Hope and Desperate)
Best Modern Rock Song: Silica Gel (Desert Eagle)
Best Metal & Hardcore Album: AGNES (Hegemony Shift)
Best Pop Album: IU (LILAC)
Best Pop Song: AKMU (NAKKA (with IU))
Best Electronic Album: Happy (Born by Gorgeousness)
Best Electronic Song: Happari (Go to GPD and Then)
Best Rap & Hip Hop Album: Choi LB (Independent Music)
Best Rap and Hip Hop Song: Changmo (Taeji)
Best R&B and Soul Album: Thama (Don't Die Colours)
Best R&B and Soul Song: Sumin & Slom (The Gonlan Song)
Best Folk Album: Lang Lee (There's a Wolf)
Best Folk Song: Chun Yongsung (Barley Chai (featuring Kang Mal Gum))
Best Jazz Music Album: Zihye Lee Orchestra (Daring Mind)
Best Jazz Vocal Album: Maria Kim (With Strings: Dream of You)
Achievement Award: Devils
Congratulations to all the artists!