NewJeans bag 3 trophies at the prestigious Korean Music Awards, become the second idol group ever to win ROTY

ADOR’s rookie girl group NewJeans has once again made incredible achievements by bagging three trophies at the 20th Korean Music Awards. The awards ceremony was held on March 5, 2023.

The Korean Music Awards (KMA) are considered to be South Korea’s Grammy-equivalent awards show. Unlike album sales, streams, or mainstream popularity, the KMAs focus on musical achievement and are thus considered the most prestigious awards show in the country.

Only a handful of K-pop artists have achieved the KMAs, such as BTS, BIGBANG, SNSD, PSY, IU and aespa.

Joining them is the super rookie girl group, the Hype Boy singers, who became the second-ever idol group (after aespa) to win Rookie of the Year Daesang.

Fans celebrate NewJeans’ incredible win at the 20th Korean Music Awards

On March 5, NewJeans won three awards at the 20th Korean Music Awards for their musical achievement. The group won Best K-pop Song for Attention, Best K-pop Album for their self-titled debut album, and Rookie of the Year Daesang. Fans were in celebratory mode as soon as the winners were announced.

The KMAs hold the biggest reputation in the Korean music industry as they honor both mainstream and underground artists solely based on recommendations from an expert panel. This is unlike other award shows that focus on sales-based evaluations. Its judging panel is made up of music critics, radio show producers, and music and culture professors, among others.

Having NewJeans, a barely seven-month-old group to bag three awards, among which one was a grand prize, was nothing short of a celebration for fans. Flaunting the group’s music and style, fans expressed how proud they were of the group. Additionally, the Ditto singers are the only idol group to receive the prestigious KMA award this year.

All the winners of the 20th Korean Music Awards

The Korean Music Awards recognize not just mainstream but also underground artists. It has approximately 20 categories, including Rap, R&B and Soul, Electronic, Modern Rock, Rock, Jazz, K-pop, and many more.

Meanwhile, NewJeans’ self-titled debut EP earned the group its second million-seller title as it crossed 1,036,811 copies as of February 11, per Circle Chart.

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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