The 22nd 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 – “Supernova”
BIBI – “Bam Yang Gang”
Danpyunsun and the Moments Ensemble – “Independent”
Rosé (BLACKPINK), Bruno Mars – “APT.”
SUMIN, Slom – “WHY, WHY, WHY”

Album of the Year

aespa – “Armageddon”
Danpyunsun and the Moments Ensemble – “Hail to the Music”
Hyukoh, Sunset Rollercoaster – “AAA”
Silica Gel – “POWER ANDRE 99”
SUMIN, Slom – “MINISERIES 2”

Artist of the Year

aespa
Danpyunsun and the Moments Ensemble
Lee Seung Yoon
Rosé (BLACKPINK)
Silica Gel

Rookie of the Year

Hyelyn Joo
ILLIT
meeroo choi
SamSan
Sanmanhan
TWS

Best K-Pop Album

aespa – “Armageddon”
(G)I-DLE – “2”
RIIZE – “RIIZING”
tripleS – “ASSEMBLE24”
Yves (LOONA) – “I Did”

Best K-Pop Song

aespa – “Supernova”
ILLIT – “Magnetic”
Rosé (BLACKPINK), Bruno Mars – “APT.”
tripleS – “Girls Never Die”
TWS – “plot twist”

Best Pop Album

John Park – “PSST!”
Kim Yoon Ah (Jaurim) – “Sensual Novel”
Rooftop Moonlight – “40”
Savina & Drones – “Lasha”
Sunwoo Jung-a – “Beyond”

Best Pop Song

BIBI – “Bam Yang Gang”
IU – “Love wins all”
Lee Young Ji – “Small girl” (featuring EXO’s Doh Kyung Soo [D.O.])
Rooftop Moonlight – “Diving”
Sunwoo Jung-a – “STAR CANDY”

Best Rock Album

Kim Soo Chul – “45th Anniversary Where Are You”
Lee Seung Yoon – “YEOK SEONG”
MONO4OLY – “ORDINARY CHAOS”
SEOUL BUSAN INCHEON – “Wrecking Havoc”
Soumbalgwang – “Fire & Light”

Best Rock Song

Bongjeingan – “Know You Did”
Danpyunsun and the Moments Ensemble – “Independent”
Kim Soo Chul – “Where Are You”
Lee Seung Yoon – “Anthems of Defiance”
MONO4OLY – “Fake Empire”

Best Modern Rock Album

Danpyunsun and the Moments Ensemble – “Hail to the Music”
Hyukoh, Sunset Rollercoaster – “AAA”
Leaves Black – “Flight”
Meaningful Stone – “Angel Interview”
Silica Gel – “POWER ANDRE 99”

Best Modern Rock Song

Danpyunsun and the Moments Ensemble – “Days Happier Than Today Will Be Few in My Remaining Life”
HANRORO – “H O M E”
Hyukoh, Sunset Rollercoaster – “Young Man”
Lee Seung Yoon – “Waterfall”
wave to earth – “annie”

Best R&B and Soul Album

BRWN – “Monsoon”
JINBO the SuperFreak, Hersh, PoPoMo – “PoPoMo”
Jung In, Mild Beats – “Jung In & Mild Beats”
SOLE – “Time Machine”
SUMIN, Slom – “MINISERIES 2”

Best R&B and Soul Song

Hyelyn Joo – “Crazy”
John Park – “Like A Dream”
Jung In, Mild Beats – “Blame”
SOLE – “Still LOVE”
SUMIN, Slom – “WHY, WHY, WHY”

Best Rap and Hip Hop Album

B-Free, Hukky Shibaseki – “Free Hukky Shibaseki & the God Sun Symphony Group : Odyssey.1”
EK – “ESCAPE”
Garion – “Garion 3”
KWAII – “DISTORTED”
O’KOYE – “Whether The Weather Changes Or Not”

Best Rap and Hip Hop Song

B-Free, Hukky Shibaseki – “INDO”
Fleeky Bang – “Fire” (featuring CHANGMO)
G-Dragon (BIGBANG) – “POWER”
KWAII – “PRIDE”
QM – “Got yourself a gun” (featuring Block B’s Zico)

Best Electronic Album

GAZAEBAL – “Texture Music: 2011 – 2020”
HWI – “humanly possible”
HYPNOSIS THERAPY – “RAW SURVIVAL”
NET GALA – “GALAPAGGOT”
Sound Supply_Service – “SCA2”

Best Electronic Song

HAEPAARY – “The Night”
HWI – “Your My Past Lives”
HYPNOSIS THERAPY – “BLAZE”
Mount XLR – “Oving”
swimrabbit – “EVOLUTION” (featuring HUNJIYA)

Best Folk Album

Kang Asol – “From Where No One Is, To Where Everyone Is”
Kim Sawol – “Default”
Moher – “Kaleidoscope”
Sanmanhan – “Sanmanhan”
Xeuda – “How can I tell you love”

Best Folk Song

Kang Asol – “Anyone But Me”
meeroo choi – “Dap”
Moher – “Baksugijeong”
Sanmanhan – “When It Becomes A Song”
Xeuda – “How can I tell you love”

Best Metal & Hardcore Album

Fecundation – “Moribund”
The Holy Mountain – “The Holy Mountain”
Materials Pound – “Bulb”
SAHON – “Blood Shall Be Paid”
Seaweed Mustache – “2”

Best Jazz & Crossover Album

BANDO – “Shape of the Land”
Dulabam – “Dulabam”
Hae In Cho – “Sight Beyond Sight”
Hwang Minwang – “Jang:dan” (with Satoshi Takeishi)
Jihye Kim – “PADO”
Jihye Lee Orchestra – “Infinite Connections”
Juhwan Kim – “AFTER MIDNIGHT : Still in the Moonlight”
Kim Min Hee – “Confessin’”
Liberosis – “Re-mind”
Nam Yeji – “Old Songs, Tmmm”
Nubim – “Crossroads: Live in Amsterdam”
Pudditorium – “Prologue : Hope”
Sunji Lee – “Eternal”
Teho – “Pierrot le Fumeur”
Youn Sun Nah – “Elles”
Yun Seok Cheol Trio – “My summer’s not over yet”

The 2025 Korean Music Awards will be streamed live on February 27 at 8 p.m. KST.

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