All the winners of the 12th Circle Chart Music Awards

The 12th Circle Chart Music Awards saw a thrilling night full of exciting and grand performances by third and fourth generation K-pop artists. The ceremony was held on the night of February 18, 2023, to recognize and celebrate the outstanding commercial achievements of artists in the South Korean music industry.

Formerly known as Gaon, the awards ceremony took into account artists who had exemplary performances on the Gaon music charts. Gaon Chart, now known as the Circle Chart, is one of the top music platforms in South Korea that measures album sales, both physical and digital.

Interestingly, girl groups’ dominance was once again reflected throughout the Circle Chart Music Awards as Girls’ Generation, BLACKPINK, TWICE, ITZY, (G)I-DLE, aespa, LE SSERAFIM, IVE, and Kep1er managed to snag the majority of the awards.

12th Circle Chart Music Awards: BTS, NCT, SEVENTEEN, and Stray Kids take up AOTY for physical albums

The 12th Circle Chart Music Awards became a historic night for the entire K-pop industry not only because of the awards, but also due to the incredible performances presented by artists. SEVENTEEN’s subunit BSS, consisting of DK, HOSHI, and SEUNGKWAN, were dubbed the best performers of the night by many, as they livened up the atmosphere with their thrilling choreos and sets.

Much like previous years, this year’s Circle Chart Music Awards' Artist of the Year (AOTY) was also divided into two formats, digital and physical. The Digital winners were further divided into 12 months, awarding artists who had the highest downloads and streams each month from December 2021 to November 2022.

Meanwhile, the Physical Album winners were divided into four quarters for artists with the highest sales for the same duration.

Check out all the winners for the 12th Circle Chart Music Awards below:

World K-Pop Star: TXT
Rookie of the Year (Digital Music): NewJeans
Rookie of the Year (Physical Album): IVE
World K-Pop Rookie: STAYC
MuBeat Global Choice Award (Female): BLACKPINK
MuBeat Global Choice Award (Male): Lim Young-woong
Social Hot Star of the Year: BTS
Hot Performer of the Year: ENHYPEN
New Icon of the Year: NMIXX, Choi Ye Na
idolplus Global Artist: BTS
idolplus New Star: TEMPEST
Discovery of the Year (Rock/Metal): Younha
Discovery of the Year (Hip Hop): BE’O

International Song of the Year: The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber’s STAY
International Rising Star of the Year: GAYLE
Composer of the Year: Ryan Jhun
Lyricist of the Year: Seo Ji-eum
Style of the Year (Performance Director): Kim Eun-ju, BLACK.Q
Style of the Year (Visual Director): Park Min-hee
Retail Album of the Year: BTS’ Proof
Top Kit Seller of the Year: NCT DREAM
Music Steady Seller of the Year: Lim Young-woong’s Love Always Runs Away
Record Production of the Year: (G)I-DLE’s TOMBOY

Solo Artist of the Year (Female): TWICE’s Nayeon
Solo Artist of the Year (Male): Lim Young-woong
Group of the Year (Female): BLACKPINK
Group of the Year (Male): SEVENTEEN

Artist of the Year (Digital Music – Monthly)

December 2021: IVE’s ELEVEN
January 2022: Kep1er’s WA DA DA
February: Girls’ Generation’s Taeyeon’s INVU
March: (G)I-DLE’s TOMBOY
April: IVE’s LOVE DIVE
May: LE SSERAFIM’s FEARLESS
June: BTS’s Yet to Come
July: aespa’s Girls
August: BLACKPINK’s Pink Venom
September: BLACKPINK’s Shut Down
October: LE SSERAFIM’s ANTIFRAGILE
November: ITZY’s CHESHIRE

Artist of the Year (Physical Album – Quarterly)

First Quarter (December 1, 2021 to February 28, 2022): NCT’s Universe
Second Quarter (March 1, 2022 to May 31, 2022): SEVENTEEN’s Face the Sun
Third Quarter (June 1, 2022 to August 31, 2022): BTS’s Proof
Fourth Quarter (September 1, 2022 to November 30, 2022): Stray Kids’ MAXIDENT

Undoubtedly, the 12th Circle Chart Music Awards was a grand awards night for many third and fourth-generation artists.

About the author

Afreen has been a K-Pop Content Specialist at Sportskeeda since 2021. She holds a Bachelor's degree in English Literature, along with a Post-Graduate Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication. Afreen has over 4+ years of working in various positions including being an entertainment content writer with Pinkvilla’s K-pop division Hallyutalk and CineDope, and as a copywriter at Flying Cursor.

As per Afreen, she loves her work because she gets to write about the things she is obsessed with. Her thorough research and following the two-genuine-source rule of journalism helps her produce the most accurate content, along with helping her be up-to-date with the industry.

Afreen has had the privilege to interview The Rose's frontrunner, WOOSUNG, and LIONESSES, K-pop's first openly LGBTQ+ group. She is a big fan of SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, BTS, and The Rose for their hard work, sincerity, and the comic relief their shows provide.

When she is off her shift, Afreen explores the streets of Nottingham in the UK, cooks, and listens to new music.

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Edited by Susrita Das