Newly-rebranded Circle Chart Music Awards take place Saturday

K-pop

Published: 19 Feb. 2023, 14:37 Updated: 19 Feb. 2023, 15:48

Newly-rebranded Circle Chart Music Awards take place Saturday

Girl group aespa performs during the 12th Circle Chart Music Awards on Feb. 18, 2023 at the KSPO Dome in southern Seoul’s Olympic Park. [AP/YONHAP]

After music streaming tracker Gaon Chart rebranded itself to Circle Chart in July, the 12th Circle Chart Music Awards took place on Saturday at the KSPO Dome in southern Seoul’s Olympic Park.

With Doyoung from boy band NCT and Miyeon from girl group (G)I-DLE serving as the hosts, the four-hour event saw numerous K-pop acts perform and take home honors.

The event was formerly known as Gaon Chart Music Awards before the streaming chart’s rebrand. The revamped Circle Chart now takes into account data from YouTube, TikTok, Spotify and Apple Music, as well as data from domestic charts Melon, Genie, Bugs, Flo and Vibe. Through signed partnerships, it is the only chart that is able to legally collect domestic and foreign data regarding K-pop.

Subunit BSS of boy band Seventeen performs during the 12th Circle Chart Music Awards on Feb. 18, 2023 at the KSPO Dome in southern Seoul’s Olympic Park. [AP/YONHAP]

Artist of the Year – Global Digital Music, given to the top song released each month, went to: IVE’s “Eleven” (December 2021), Kep1er’s “Wa Da Da” (January 2022), Taeyeon’s “INVU” (February 2022), (G)I-DLE’s “Tomboy” (March 2022), IVE’s “Love Dive” (April 2022), Le Sserafim’s “Fearless” (May 2022), BTS’s “Yet to Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)” (June 2022), aespa’s “Girls” (July 2022), Blackpink’s “Pink Venom” (August 2022) and “Shut Down” (September 2022), Le Sserafim’s “Antifragile” (October 2022) and ITZY’s “Cheshire” (November 2022).

Boy band Enhypen performs during the 12th Circle Chart Music Awards on Feb. 18, 2023 at the KSPO Dome in southern Seoul’s Olympic Park. [AP/YONHAP]

For Artist of the Year – Physical Album, which tracks CD copies sold, the winners for the first to fourth quarters of 2022 were: NCT for “Universe,” Seventeen for “Face the Sun,” BTS for “Proof” and Stray Kids for “Maxident.” All four releases reached million-seller status if not triple-million-seller, indicating K-pop CD sales flourished last year.

Acknowledging the spade of star rookies last year, the New Artist of the Year went to girl group NewJeans’ “Attention” in the Digital Music category and girl group IVE’s “After Like” for Physical Album Sales.

Girl group STAYC performs during the 12th Circle Chart Music Awards on Feb. 18, 2023 at the KSPO Dome in southern Seoul’s Olympic Park. [AP/YONHAP]

The ceremony also gave a nod to artists who work behind K-pop acts’ releases. Performer of the Year (Musical Instrument) went to bassist Choi In-sung, who has worked with stars including MeloMance, Enhypen and (G)I-DLE. Performer of the Year (Chorus) went to singer-songwriter Sophia Pae, who worked on more than 30 K-pop songs last year alone. She featured as backing vocals on songs by ITZY, Choi Yena, NMIXX, Twice and many more. Star producer Ryan S. Jhun took home Composer of the Year, and Seo Ji-eum behind IVE’s megahits won Lyricist of the Year.

Choreographers Kim Eun-ju and Kim Young-hoo behind NewJeans received Style of the Year – Performance Director and stylist Park Min-hee behind Blackpink took Style of the Year – Visual Director.

Girl group Kep1er performs during the 12th Circle Chart Music Awards on Feb. 18, 2023 at the KSPO Dome in southern Seoul’s Olympic Park. [AP/YONHAP]

Other winners included: (G)I-DLE and Cube Entertainment for Record Production of the Year, for the girl group’s album “I Never Die”; rapper Be’O for Discovery of the Year – Hiphop; Younha for Discovery of the Year – Rock & Metal; Nayeon of girl group Twice for Female Solo Artist of the Year; trot singer Lim Young-woong for Male Solo Artist of the Year; Blackpink for Female Group of the Year; Seventeen for Male Group of the Year; Nmixx and Choi Yena for New Icon of the Year; Enhypen for Hot Performance of the Year; Lim Young-woong’s “Love Always Runs Away” for Music Steady Seller of the Year; Tomorrow X Together for World K-pop Star; STAYC for World K-pop Rookie; BTS’s “Proof” for Retail Album of the Year; NCT for Best Kit Album of the Year; BTS for Social Hot Star of the Year; Blackpink for MuBeat Global Choice (Female); Lim Young-woong for MuBeat Global Choice (Male); BTS for idolplus Global Artist and Tempest for idolplus New Star.

Boy band Tomorrow X Together performs during the 12th Circle Chart Music Awards on Feb. 18, 2023 at the KSPO Dome in southern Seoul’s Olympic Park. [AP/YONHAP]

BTS became the most-awarded artist of the night, winning five categories.

Song of the Year in International Pop went to The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber’s “Stay” and International Rising Star of the Year went to Gayle.

BY HALEY YANG [yang.hyunjoo@joongang.co.kr]