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The Korea Times

By Pyo Kyung-min
K-pop girl group Aespa dominated the 16th Melon Music Awards (MMA), winning seven accolades, including three grand prizes, and solidifying their status as one of the industry’s top acts.
The MMA, hosted by music platform Melon, are one of Korea’s largest music awards. This year’s ceremony took place at Inspire Arena on Incheon’s Yeongjong Island, drawing 13,000 fans for a four-hour spectacle filled with live performances and the presentation of honours in 27 categories.
Emerging as the night’s biggest winner was Aespa, SM Entertainment’s flagship girl group with four members – Karina, Giselle, Ningning and Winter.

The group took home three out of four of the event’s top honours – artist of the year, KakaoBank album of the year, and best song of the year. The group also secured awards for best female group and best female performance.
The quartet’s achievements this year cemented their status as one of K-pop’s leading acts, with three of their albums surpassing 1 million streams on Melon within 24 hours of release.
“Supernova”, the pre-release track from their first studio album and winner of the best song of the year award, broke records as the longest-running No. 1 on Melon’s Top 100 chart for songs released in 2024.
Another major award, record of the year, went to girl band (G)I-DLE for their second full-length album, 2, which recognised the group’s outstanding musical achievements.
During her acceptance speech, (G)I-DLE’s leader and producer Soyeon delighted fans by addressing the group’s future. With the group approaching their seventh year since their debut – when K-pop contracts typically expire – fans had been anxious about whether (G)I-DLE would continue their group career.

“Before stepping on stage tonight, the five of us decided to renew our contracts,” Soyeon said. “Next year, the year after, and for the rest of our lives, we will continue making great music together.”
The rookie of the year awards, which recognises stand-out acts that debuted this year, went to boy band TWS and girl group Illit.
TWS’ debut track “Plot Twist”, released in January, surpassed 90 million streams on Melon, marking the highest total among rookies this year. Illit’s viral March debut song “Magnetic” also made waves by soaring to No. 1 on Melon’s Top 100 chart upon release.


Read the full story at The Korea Times.


(G)I-DLE members to renew contracts with label, Aespa’s meteoric rise in K-pop continues

Why K-pop’s Seventeen are ‘textbook’ excellent, but lack broad appeal like Stray Kids, BTS

Blame Timothée Chalamet. A lookalike contest for BTS’ Jungkook keeps the viral trend going

K-pop’s NewJeans split from label Ador, citing ‘mistreatment’ and lack of respect

K-pop, Mandopop and other Asian pop

Girl group (G)I-DLE, who have announced the renewal of their contracts after seven years in K-pop. Photo: Instagram/@miyeonxprincess  

K-pop girl group Aespa on the red carpet at the 2024 Melon Music Awards in Incheon, South Korea, where they won three of the top four awards and seven in all. Photo: Instagram/@kjnowjournalistboard

K-pop girl group (G)I-DLE on the red carpet at the 2024 Melon Music Awards in Incheon, South Korea, where they won album of the year and announced the were renewing their contracts. Photo: Instagram/@royentertainmentshine

K-pop boy band TWS on the red carpet at the 2024 Melon Music Awards, where they won a rookie of the year award. Photo: Instagram/@royentertainmentshine

K-pop girl group Illit, winner of a rookie of the year award in the 2024 Melon Music Awards. Photo: Instagram/@royentertainmentshine

Members of NewJeans attend a press conference in Seoul to declare the termination of their contract with label Ador, citing multiple reasons including unfair treatment. Photo: AP

NewJeans performing during the “2024 Korea On Stage – New Generation” live show held in Seoul in May 2024. Photo: AFP

NewJeans attend the Billboard Women in Music Awards in California in March 2024. Photo: Reuters

Min Hee-jin, the name behind NewJeans, resigned from Ador on November 20, 2024. Photo: AFP

At the conference, NewJeans cited multiple reasons for their split with Ador, including, band member Hanni said, “miscommunication and manipulation”. Photo: AP

Rosé and Bruno Mars perform APT live for first time at MAMA awards show in Osaka, Japan

Rosé and Bruno Mars performed their song APT live for the first time at the MAMA Awards show in Osaka, Japan, on November 22, 2024, where they won the Global Sensation award. Photo: Instagram/@mnet_mama

Meet Mave:, the AI-powered K-pop girl group that look almost human and speak four languages

The four members of virtual K-pop girl group Mave: live in the metaverse, their songs, dances, interviews and even their hairstyles created by web designers and artificial intelligence. Photo: Metaverse Entertainment

Experts say the Covid-19 pandemic aided the growth of such virtual characters like Mave:. Photo: Reuters

Kang Sung-ku, head of the technical department of Metaverse Entertainment, works on Mave: at his office in Seoul, South Korea. Photo: Reuters

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(G)I-DLE get over their 7-year itch, and win record of the year at MMAs, where girl group Aespa take 7 prizes and TWS win rookie of the year


(G)I-DLE get over their 7-year itch, and win record of the year at MMAs, where girl group Aespa take 7 prizes and TWS win rookie of the year.


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