BTS (3 categories), XXX, Say Sue Me are winners at 2019 Korean Music Awards

The ceremony for the 2019 Korean Music Awards was held yesterday on February 26, where the winners were announced as determined by a panel of judges.

As you know, I don’t bother to cover the results of other Korean music awards since they are essentially just based on popularity. The Korean Music Awards, on the other hand, are given out by a panel of critics, producers, academics, and others in the industry, thus making them somewhat similar to the Korean version of the Grammy Awards. Of course, like the Grammys, that doesn’t mean their conclusions are unassailable or whatever, but they sure as hell is more interesting than basing it on whoever outsold who.

Anyway, let’s get to the nominees with the winners in bold.

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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 – “Soony 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 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”

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Additionally, Yang Hee Eun was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Anyway, we finally have subjective music award results worth arguing over, so go ahead and do that in the comments.