TXT becomes first Korean group to be crowned Hero of the Year at NME Awards 2022

K-pop band TXT has become the first-ever Korean act to be crowned "Hero of the Year" by the UK’s NME Awards.

The NME Awards is an annual music awards show held by the music magazine New Music Express. First held in 1953, the show celebrates achievements in music, film and culture.

Apart from the conventional award categories, the NME Awards also has several tongue-in-cheek ones, including "Villain of the Year" and "Worst Record."

Interestingly, the trophies given to the winners are shaped in the form of an extended middle finger.

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TXT take home "Hero of the Year" award, British Minister of State Jacob Rees-Mogg named "Villain of the Year"

The BandLab NME Awards 2022 released their official list of winners on March 2, ahead of the ceremony.

It was then announced that TXT had won the "Hero of the Year" award, a first for any Korean artist or celebrity.

According to reports, the band received 40 percent of the total votes for the "Hero of the Year" category.

This is not the first time the K-pop band, also known as Tomorrow X Together, has won the approval of NME. In NME’s 25 Best K-Pop Songs of 2021 list, compiled by NME Asia, the group ranked eighth for their single ‘0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)’ featuring Seori.

NME states that the "Hero of the Year" Award recognizes those who “made the world a much more excellent place over the last 12 months.”

Some of the award's previous recipients include Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Beyoncé, Barack Obama, Liam Gallagher, Ozzy Osbourne, My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way, and Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner.

Meanwhile, British Minister of State for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency Jacob Rees-Mogg was named NME’s "Villain of the Year" for 2022.

He joins an equally star-studded list of people who have been presented with this award in the past. These include British Prime Minister David Cameron, Justin Bieber, as well as former US Presidents Donald Trump and George W. Bush.

It is to be noted that TXT was also the only Korean group to make it to the Rolling Stones' prestigious 50 Best Albums of 2021 list.