The first KGMA was held on November 16 at the Inspire Arena in Unseo-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon. The first day of the event, dubbed “Artist Day”, was hosted by NewJeans’ Hanni and actress Nam Ji-hyun.
NewJeans received the 2024 Grand Artist Award, the ceremony’s highest honor. Debuting in 2022, the group achieved notable success with recent double single “How Sweet,” achieving consecutive 4 million sellers and solidifying their status as a leading fourth-generation girl group. Their consistent record-breaking performances include ranking 5th in US CD sales last year.
While accepting the award, NewJeans exuded smiles and gratitude. Minji shared: “Two years have passed since our debut. In these two years we have met so many people, experienced countless events and learned a lot. There were many joyful moments, but also difficult challenges to manage. However, I believe that overcoming these challenges has allowed us to come together more strongly and become a better team.“
He also extended his gratitude to former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, “I’m not sure if he’s watching, but I want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank our CEO who always gives us strength.” He added: “I look forward to NewJeans bringing more great music and new performances.“
Hanni expressed his deep affection for NewJeans and the fans, “I know that expressing our gratitude can sometimes seem like an empty phrase, but I hope you understand that it is not. We don’t know how long we will remain as NewJeans, but I don’t think anyone can interfere with the bond between the five of us and our Bunnies (official fandom name). Let’s stick together until the end.” Danielle moved fans by shouting: “NewJeans never die.”
The 2024 Grand Record Award was awarded to (G)I-DLE. Now in their seventh year, the group continues to demonstrate their talent and success with hits such as “TOMBOY,” “Nxde,” “Queencard” and “Super Lady.” Their July release, seventh mini-album “I Sway,” solidified their “Summer Queen” title.
Accepting the award, Soyeon noted, “This award is particularly significant because we are a self-producing group. It’s great and rewarding to see our hard work in production recognized. Thank you to my members for putting up with seven years of hard work. I think this is the first time we have received such a major award.” He promised: “We will always continue to work hard as (G)I-DLE.”
The 2024 Grand Honor’s Choice Award went to ZEROBASEONE. Their third mini-album “You Had Me at Hello” was selected as one of the “20 Best K-pop Albums of the First Half of 2024” by Billboard.
Members Kim Gyu-vin and Sung Han-bin expressed their gratitude: “We are grateful to receive such a prestigious award on such a grand stage. All this thanks to our ‘ZEROSE’ (official fandom name). We will strive to deserve this award and remain devoted to “ZEROSE”. We love you!“
The top 10 best artists were named NewJeans, DO, STAYC, (G)I-DLE, Young Tak, Lee Young-ji, Jeong Dong-won, ZEROBASEONE, Taemin and P1Harmony.
Other notable awards include: Best Band: QWER, Best OST: Yoo Hwe-seung of N.Flying, Best Rock Ballad: Lee Mu-jin, Best R&B: DO and BIBI, Best Solo Artist: Taemin, Legendary K-pop Artist: TVXQ…
The night also crowned Taemin and Young Tak as triple crown winners, taking home three trophies each.
KGMA, hosted by Ilgan Sports, marks a new addition to the world of Korean music awards, promising two days of celebrations. The second day will follow, nicknamed “Song Day”.
Source: Daum
