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| K-pop boy band BTS / Courtesy of Big Hit Entertainment |
By Dong Sun-hwa
K-pop sensation BTS took home two awards at the 18th Korean Music Awards, Sunday.
The Big Hit Entertainment group clinched awards for Song of the Year and the Best Pop Song with its hit "Dynamite," the track that made BTS the first Korean act to top the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart.
"We put out Dynamite last year to bring comfort to people and cheer them up. Thus, we were very happy to see so many of them enjoying our song," BTS frontman RM said in a remote video acceptance speech.
Member Jungkook added: "It is our honor to receive these prizes ― in the future, we will strive to showcase better music."
Park Hyun-joon, an award committee member, said: "As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, depression and unhappiness took over many people's lives last year. But amid this challenging time, Dynamite helped them feel better, showing how a pop song can invigorate people. Dynamite also kicked off a new chapter by becoming an international pop song appreciated by global audiences."
The Musician of the Year Award went to alternative pop band Leenalchi, which ascended to stardom after appearing in Korea's tourism promotion video series "Feel the Rhythm of KOREA." It also won the Best Crossover Album with the album "Sugungga," as well as the Best Modern Rock Song Award with the album's lead track "Tiger is Coming."
Singer-songwriter Jeongmilla nabbed the Album of the Year award with her third studio album "CheongPa Sonata." She was also honored with the Best Folk Album and the Best Folk Song Awards.
For the 18th Korean Music Awards, 65 committee members including music critics and journalists assessed the albums and songs ― released between Dec. 1, 2019 and Nov. 30, 2020 ― to decide on the winners.
