K-pop girl group aespa for 'Dreams Come True' concept photo (Image via @aespa_official/Instagram)

‘Next Level’ singers aespa take a historic win at Korean Music Awards

Modified Mar 02, 2022 17:11 GMT

Touted as the Monster Rookies, the four-member group aespa achieved historic wins at the Korean Music Awards (KMAs) held on March 1. The girl group was the most-nominated K-pop idol group and took home three trophies. The KMAs are the biggest music award show in the South Korean music industry, with some even calling it Korea’s Grammy.

SM Entertainment’s Next Level singers took home the Grand Prize for Song of the Year, making history as the second-ever girl group to win the title. The first winner was Girls’ Generation’s for the classic song Gee, more than a decade ago in 2010.

𝐍𝐎È

@aesleven

After 12 years in KMA. Gee and Next Level supremacy.

mysone winning this again.

aespa achieves an ‘Ultimate Rookie Grand Slam' title showcasing their power as 4th generation leaders

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The four-member girl group, aespa, bagged trophies, breaking records left, right, and center the moment they debuted on November 17, 2020. After the debut song Black Mamba, Next Level, and recent viral sensation Savage, the SM Entertainment group made headlines at every big and small award show.

Continuing with the winning streak, the Savage girl group is now the only K-pop idol group to win Rookie of the Year at the Korean Music Awards' history since the ceremony's inception in 2004. The girl group also became the most-decorated fourth-generation K-pop group by bagging three prestigious awards at the KMAs, along with a Grand Prize.

The girl group previously earned the Rookie Grand Slam title and is now the first to hold the 'Ultimate Rookie Grand Slam' title.

rem 🦋

@aespafaeries

aespa being the first and only 4th gen group to win in KMA

The Black Mamba group won the Rookie of the Year at all seven major music awards - Golden Disc Awards (GDA), Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA), Melon Music Awards (MMA), Asian Artist Awards (AAA), Seoul Music Awards (SMA), Gaon Chart Music Awards (GCMA), and the latest, Korean Music Awards (KMA).

karina pr manager

@ujiminphoria

SM really created a monster group and hit the jackpot with aespa

Along with Rookie of the Year, the monster rookies also earned Song of the Year and Best K-pop Song for their hit sensation, Next Level.

Fans go berserk over aespa's three iconic KMAs wins

gray

@aespandecoco

the way aespa won rookie of the year and a daesang on the same night on 3 award shows in korea (MMA, AAA, KMA) speaks the REAL monster rookie behavior

Solidifying their position as the top fourth-generation idol group, the Savage girl group emerged victorious in the 2022 KMAs. Besides legendary idols BTS, IU, and Chungha, the four-member girl group was the only junior group standing on par with them at the prestigious awards ceremony.

Fans, or MYs, took to Twitter to celebrate the incredibly rare achievements seen in the K-pop industry after a while.

B ♡

@yoojimx

The way aespa received 3 Daesangs technically all in their 'rookie' year & it's all for different reasons. Stage of the Year, Record of the Year & Song of the Year. KMA especially being one of the most prestigious award shows in Korea just shows they're in a whole another league.

𝒌𝒖𝒎𝒊 ˃̵͈̑ᴗ˂̵͈̑

@aerinoglossy

no cause the way MYs only wish aespa to win at least one awad because being nominated at KMA is already a big honor for a one-year old group like them, but look at what our girls received, this only proves how big of an artist they are, and I am beyond proud of them 🤍

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@aesfighting

aespa won rookie of the year and song of the year in the same night at KMA aka Korean grammy. Who’s doing it like them

rehl.

@windvrehl

aespa will not aespa bagging
attend the paris 3 awards on
fashion week KMA

coco

@giselleskr

aespa bagged 18 trophies from award shows in a span of 3 months!

AAA -

MAMA -

MMA -

GDA -

SMA -
GCMA -
KMA -

#에스파 #aespa

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@aesleven

"It will be huge hugeeee if they win the ROTY award in KMA. They'll the be the FIRST kpop group EVER."

gdhdhdhd AND THEY WON HOLY F* SHIT!!!

#aespa #에스파 @aespa_official

• CHILL • inactive

@MYsReveluv

They keep on hating next level and saying not deserved anything but aespa keeps on winning.

And the description in KMA official website about aespa Next Level

“The future world that SM has been facing since 1996 has finally won”

Meanwhile, BTS took home the Artist of the Year for the third time, making them the only idol group to do so. The seven-member band created history when it became the first idol group to win the title in 2018 and then won it again in 2019.

Chungha won Best K-pop Song for Querencia, while IU won Best Pop Album for LILAC.

Moreover, all eyes are now on aespa to see what new music the group releases and how they will take over the K-pop industry again.

Edited by
R. Elahi