The 2019 Korean Music Awards were held at the Guro Arts Valley Theater in Seoul today (Feb. 26), and Billboard 200 chart-toppers BTS took home the night’s top prizes.
BTS was recognized the artist of the year for 2018, and their song “Fake Love” — which went to No. 10 on the Hot 100 chart last year after it was released on May’s Love Yourself: Tear — took the top prize in both the song of the year and best pop song categories.
Veteran singer Jang Pil Soon, who has regularly released music in South Korea since the ‘80s and gained an expansive following for her unique tone and approach to crafting evocative tones, took home the album of the year and best pop album awards for her ambient folk pop release, soony eight.
RM of BTS took to the group’s Twitter page to express excitement over the recognition, and also seemingly acknowledged the 6th Edaily Culture Awards, which also took place today, by referring to the group taking home the grand prize, or Daesang, and the best concert award for their Love Yourself world tour. “I was so happy. It’s an honor, thank you,” he ended the tweet.
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Other big winners of the night were rookie of the year AIRY, and Yang Hee Eun, who was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award.
The winners in each category are bolded below.
Album of the Year
Mid-Air Thief — Crumbling
Life and Time — Age
BTS — Love Yourself: Answer
Say Sue Me — Where We Were Together
Jang Pil Soon — Aoony Eight
Huckleberry Finn — Aurora People
Song of the Year
Mommy Son — “Shonen Jump” (Feat. Bae Ki Sung)
BTS — “Fake Love”
BTS — “IDOL”
Say Sue Me — “Old Town”
Kiha & The Faces — “That’s Just What You Think”
HYUKOH — “LOVE YA!”
Artist of the Year
Kim Sawol
BTS
Say Sue Me
Sunji Lee
Jang Pil Soon
Rookie of the Year
HAON
Jclef
Mothervibes
Motte
AIRY
Wussami
Best Pop Album
BoA — WOMAN
BTS — Love Yourself: Answer
Uhm Jung Hwa — The Cloud Dream of the Nine
Lee Moon Sae — BETWEEN US
Lee Jin Ah — Jinah Restaurant Full Course
Jang Pil Soon — Soony Eight
Best Pop Song
ADOY — “Wonder”
Red Velvet — “Bad Boy”
BTS — “Fake Love”
BTS — “IDOL”
Heize — “Jenga” (Feat. Gaeko)
Best Rock Album
Life and Time — Age
SUPERSTRING — Architecture
Asian Chairshot — IGNITE
H a lot — H A Lot
Plugged Classic — Sabai
Best Rock Song
Life and Time — “Jamsugyo”
Asian Chairshot — “Round and Round”
H a lot — “If You Ask Me”
H a lot — “Prom”
Hangsuk & Boogiemonster — “I’m Fat”
Best Modern Rock Album
ADOY — LOVE
DECADENT — DECADENT
Say Sue Me — Where We Were Together
Jaurim — Jaurim
Huckleberry Finn — Aurora People
Best Modern Rock Song
Night Off — “Review”
Say Sue Me — “Old Town”
Kiha & The Faces — “That’s Just What You Think”
Huckleberry Finn — “Who Is It”
HYUKOH — “LOVE YA!”
Best Metal and Hardcore Album
DARK MIRROR OV TRAGEDY — THE LORD OV SHADOWS
Day of Mourning — This Too Will Pass
Noeasy — Triangle
MEMNOCH — COMMAND HALLUCINATION
Best Dance and Electronic Album
Two Tone Shape — Shapes
Mid-Air Thief — Crumbling
Lofibaby — N
Byul.org — Nobody’s Gold
YESEO — Damn Rules
KIRARA — Sarah
Best Dance and Electronic Song
Pure 100% — “Apollo”
Two Tone Shape — “Color Penetration”
Aseul — “Seoul Girl”
YESEO — “Honey, Don’t Kill My Vibe”
KIRARA — “Worries”
Best Rap and Hip Hop Album
JUSTHIS & Paloalto — 4 the Youth
XXX — LANGUAGE
Bassagong — TANG-A
ILLINIT — Cosmos
JaeDal — Period
Best Rap and Hip Hop Song
HAON — “Boong Boong” (Feat. Sik-K)
JUSTHIS & Paloalto — “Switch”
XXX — “Ganju Gok”
Mommy Son — “Shonen Jump” (Feat. Bae Ki Sung)
Hwaji — “Nappe”
Best R&B and Soul Album
Horim — METROCITY
Jclef — Flaw, Flaw
Naul — Sound Doctrine
SUMIN — Your Home
Hippy was Gipsy — Language
Best R&B and Soul Song
Jclef — “One Hour Before the Earth’s Destruction”
SUMIN — “Your Home” (Feat. Xin Seha)
George — “gohaegoback”
Hoody — “Sunshine” (Feat. Crush)
Hippy was Gipsy — “Bed”
Best Folk Album
Kang Asol — The Day of Love
Kim Dong San — Seoul Suwon Story
Kim Sawol — Romance
Kim Haewon — Sea and Myself
YUHA — Young People
Hwang Puha — Self-Portrait
Best Folk Song
Kang Asol — “Island”
Kim Sawol — “Someone”
YUHA — “The Worker”
Jang Pil Soon — “Night Sea”
Hwang Puha — “Self Portrait”
Best Jazz Album
Yoo Sun Nam — Strange, But Beautiful You
Youngjoo Song — Late Fall
Bongwool Lee — My Singing Fingers
Sunji Lee — SONG OF APRIL
Sumin Jung — Neo-liberalism
Best Jazz and Crossover Album
near east quartet — Near East Quartet
Kim Sora — A Sign of Rain
Park Ju Won — The Last Rumba
Park Jiha — Philos
Shin Hyunpil, Ko Heean — Dear Chopin
Best Jazz and Crossover Performance
near east quartet — “Near East Quartet”
Ko Heean Trio — “Dancing Without Moving”
SooJin Suh — “Strange Liberation”
Youngjoo Song — “Late Fall”
Jungsu Choi Tiny Orkester — “Tschuss Jazz Era”