Korean Music Awards 2022 Announces This Year's Nominees

The 19th annual Korean Music Awards has announced this year’s nominees!

In contrast to many other South Korean music awards, which typically use sales figures as a major criterion in determining each year’s winners, the Korean Music Awards focuses on musical achievement as its primary criterion. The Korean Music Awards also places greater importance on albums and songs in and of themselves.

Check out this year’s nominees below!

Song of the Year

• aespa – “Next Level”
• AKMU – “NAKKA” (with IU)
• BTS – “Butter”
• Lang Lee – “There is a Wolf”
• Lee Mujin – “Traffic light”

Album of the Year

• AKMU – “NEXT EPISODE”
• Chun Yongsung – “Drowned”
• IU – “LILAC”
• Kim Hyun Chul – “City Breeze & Love Song”
• Lang Lee – “There is a Wolf”

Artist of the Year

• BTS
• IU
• Kim Hyun Chul
• Lang Lee
• The Volunteers

Rookie of the Year

• aespa
• HAEPAARY
• Lee Mujin
• SINCE
• STAYC

Best K-Pop Song

• aespa – “Next Level”
• BTS – “Butter”
• STAYC – “ASAP”
• TXT – “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)” (featuring Seori)
• Weeekly – “After School”

Best K-Pop Album

• aespa – “Savage”
• BoA – “BETTER”
• Chungha – “Querencia”
• CL – “ALPHA”
• SHINee – “Atlantis”

Best Pop Song

• AKMU – “NAKKA” (with IU)
• IU – “LILAC”
• Lee Mujin – “Traffic light”
• Lee Seung Hwan & Sunwoojunga – “How could you”
• Red Velvet’s Wendy – “When This Rain Stops”

Best Pop Album

• AKMU – “NEXT EPISODE”
• eAeon – “Fragile”
• IU – “LILAC”
• Jeong Cha Sik – “Night Driving”
• Kim Hyun Chul – “City Breeze & Love Song”

Best Rock Song

• BADLAMB – “Noon Moment”
• Soumbalgwang – “Dance”
• TRAP – “One Corner”
• Wabi King – “Rock & Roll Night” (featuring Shin Young)
• Zeonpasa – “Lie”

Best Rock Album

• Atom Music Heart – “Exile of iZm”
• PAKK – “Chilgasal”
• Soumbalgwang – “Happiness, Flower”
• TRAP – “TRAP”
• Zeonpasa – “Psyche of Eons”

Best Modern Rock Song

• Leaves Black – “Farewell, My Books!”
• Meaningful Stone – “Dancing in the rain”
• Silica Gel – “Desert Eagle”
• The Volunteers – “Let me go!”
• Wings of the ISANG – “Twenty Years Old”

Best Modern Rock Album

• Bosudong Cooler – “Sand”
• Jannabi – “The Land of Fantasy”
• The Volunteers – “The Volunteers”
• Wings of the ISANG – “The Borderline between Hope and Despair”
• Yang Chang Keun – “WAVE”

Best R&B and Soul Song

• hiko – “time goes by” (featuring george)
• Lee Hi – “H.S.K.T.” (featuring Wonstein)
• SUMIN & Slom – “THE GONLAN SONG”
• THAMA – “Blessed” (featuring G.Soul)
• youra – “MIMI”

Best R&B and Soul Album

• Dvwn – “it’s not your fault”
• jerd – “A.M.P.”
• Mind Combined – “CIRCLE”
• sogumm – “Precious”
• SUMIN & Slom – “MINISERIES”
• THAMA – “DON’T DIE COLORS”

Best Rap and Hip Hop Song

• BILL STAX – “420 Flow” (featuring lobonabeat!)
• CHANGMO – “TAIJI”
• Don Mills – “DAEBAK Life” (featuring Northfacegawd, UNEDUCATED KID)
• Los – “Blue Lemonade” (featuring Hwaji)
• SINCE – “Spring Rain” (featuring Rakon)

Best Rap and Hip Hop Album

• CHANGMO – “Underground Rockstar”
• Choi LB – “Independent Music”
• Los – “SKANDALOUZ”
• Mild Beats – “Fragment”
• unofficialboyy & HAIFHAIF – “Net, Trap, Launcher, Capture”

Best Electronic Song

• DOILDOSHI – “Forest Illumination”
• eobchae – “The Song of Hope”
• HAEPAARY – “go to gpd and then”
• KIRARA – “HRT”
• MOONSUN – “TOM”

Best Electronic Album

• HAEPAARY – “Born By Gorgeousness”
• Haihm – “NOWHERE”
• Joyul – “Earwitness”
• Leesuho – “Monika”
• NET GALA – “SHINPA”

Best Folk Song

• Chun Yongsung – “Barley Tea” (featuring Kang Mal Geum)
• Jang Pillsoon – “petrichor”
• Lang Lee – “The Generation of Tribulation”
• Lang Lee – “There is a Wolf”
• Lee Joo Young – “It’s Snowing” (featuring Earip)

Best Folk Album

• Chun Yongsung – “Drowned”
• Jang Pillsoon – “petrichor”
• Jeon Ho Kwon – “COSMOS”
• Lang Lee – “There is a Wolf”
• Lee Joo Young – “Ballad”

Best Metal & Hardcore Album

• AGNES – “Hegemony Shift”
• AMBROXIAK – “Detritus of Elysian Creation”
• CRUX – “Who Defines What’s Divine”
• Hammering – “LIBERA ME”
• Slant – “1st Album”
• Spit On My Tomb – “Necrosis”

Best Jazz Vocal Album

• Bu Young Lee – “Love, Like A Song”
• Golden Swing Band – “Golden Rules”
• Kim Ju Hwan – “My Funny Valentine: Kim Ju Hwan Sings Richard Rodgers Songbook”
• Korea Jazz Guardians – “We All Started in Jazz Club”
• Maria Kim – “With Strings: Dream of You”

Best Jazz Music Album

• Jihye Lee Orchestra – “Daring Mind”
• Lee Jiyeun Jazz Orchestra – “Blue Flower”
• Nam Yoo Sun – “Things We Lost & Found”
• SB Circle – “Pseudoscience”
• Yongseok Lee – “The New Old One”

The 19th Korean Music Awards will be streamed live on March 1 at 6 p.m. KST.

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