The Korean Music Awards (KMA) 2024 winners have been announced through a worldwide live telecast on Thursday (February 29) at 8:00 pm KST. Musical achievements by bands and artists were considered while selecting the winners in each category. The committee gives greater importance to the songs and albums of the artists themselves. Unlike other South Korean music awards, KMA considers the sales records to select winners.
This year, two groups and an artist were nominated for all three Grand Prizes – Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Musician of the Year. K-pop girl group NewJeans, indie rock band Silica Gel, and rapper Beenzino also received nominations for Best Song and Best Album awards in their respective genres.
The internationally famous K-pop boy band member Jungkook received four nominations. The BTS member has been nominated in two of the Grand Prize categories – Musician of the Year and Song of the Year. He was also nominated for Best K-pop Song and Best K-pop Album. Here is the winners' list of the 21st annual Korean Music Awards (KMA), including the Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Musician of the Year.
Korean Music Awards (KMA) 2024 Winners
Musician of the Year
- NewJeans
- Beenzino
- Jungkook
- Silica Gel - WINNER
- Carina Nebula
- wave to earth
Song of the Year
- Tik Tak Tok ft. So!YoON! for Silica Gel
- Rose Blossom for H1-KEY
- Ditto for NewJeans - WINNER
- Travel Again ft. Cautious Clay for Beenzino
- Seven ft. Latto for Jungkook
Album of the Year
- COMEDY for Yeoyu and Seolbin
- Get Up for NewJeans
- Heart of the City for Lee Jin Ah
- Machine Boy for Silica Gel
- NOWITZKI for Beenzino - WINNER
Rookie of the Year
- dongyi
- HANEL
- H1-KEY
- KISS OF LIFE - WINNER
- Moon Mi Hyang
- NO.LINK
Best Pop Song
- In My Garden for Yoon Ji Young
- Love Lee for AKMU - WINNER
- DIE 4 YOU for DEAN
- Cocktail Paradise for Yun Seok Cheol and Sejin
- Let's Say Goodbye for Parc Jae Jung
Best Pop Album
- Round and Round for Kim Soo Young
- In My Garden for Yoon Ji Young
- DIPUC for cacophony
- Heart of the City for Lee Jin Ah - WINNER
- 1집 Alone for Parc Jae Jung
- 문(門) for Kim Se Jeong
Best K-pop Song
- Seven ft. Latto for Jungkook
- Cupid for FIFTY FIFTY
- Ditto for NewJeans - WINNER
- Rose Blossom for H1-KEY
- I AM for IVE
Best K-pop Album
- Get Up for NewJeans - WINNER
- The Name Chapter: Freefall for Tomorrow X Together
- the Billage of perception: chapter three for Billlie
- Golden for Jungkook
- Born to be XX for KISS OF LIFE
Best Rap and Hip-hop Song
- Travel Again ft. Cautious Clay for Beenzino
- 25 ft. Yang Hong-won for Kid Milli
- 14-23 for Skyminhyuk
- Young Boy ft. oygli for lobonabeat!
- What The Hell for E SENS - WINNER
Best Rap and Hip-hop Album
- NOWITZKI for Beenzino - WINNER
- 해방 for Skyminhyuk
- 선전기술 X for O'Domar
- Trapstar Lifestyle for lonbonabeat!
- BEIGE for Kid Milli
Best R&B and Soul Song
- Bump It Up for THAMA
- Closet ft. Uhm Jung Hwa for SUMIN
- Whiskey (with SOLE, THAMA) for Soul delivery
- Motif for youra - WINNER
- Closed ft. JJANGYOU for jerd
Best R&B and Soul Album
- Sailing for Hoody
- (1) for youra
- BOMM for jerd - WINNER
- wonderego for Crush
- YOURS TRULY for BRWN
Best Electronic Song
- Acid Wasp for Mount XLR
- Hush for CIFIKA - WINNER
- NUMBERS for KIRARA
- JONGNO for HYPNOSIS THERAPY
- Farewell Two Shell for Guinneissik
Best Electronic Album
- Move That for NO.LINK
- 21st century electronic duo for OTOT
- PSILOCYBIN for HYPNOSIS THERAPY
- My Star My Planet My Earth for Yetsuby - WINNER
- ION for CIFIKA
Best Rock Song
- soju & soul for OVerdrive Philosophy
- Ghost Writers for Seoul Electronic Band - WINNER
- ALL IN for Gate Flowers
- I'm blues man for zeonpansansa
- Something's Wrong for OHCHILL
Best Rock Album
- Animal for THORNAPPLE
- 12가지 말들 for bongjeingan
- 2/4분기 실적보고서 for zeonpansansa
- The Burning City for OHCHILL
- Yellow Supernova Remnant for TOUCHED
- 64 see men for OVerdrive Philosophy - WINNER
Best Modern Rock Song
- Tik Tak Tok ft. So!YoON! for Silica Gel - WINNER
- Cloud Cuckoo Land for JUNGWOO
- NOW OR NEVER for verycoybunny
- Flower Tail for Dabda
- Feeling Of You for Cho Yong-pil
Best Modern Rock Album
- Yonder for Dabda
- After the Magic for Parannoul
- Cloud Cuckoo Land for JUNGWOO
- Machine Boy for Silica Gel - WINNER
- 0.1 flaws and all. for wave to earth
Best Folk Song
- Hometown to Come for Lee Min Hwi
- Fire for Hwang Pu Ha
- 밤하늘의 별들처럼 for Yeoyu and Seolbin - WINNER
- 난 말을 못해요 for Hwang Pu Ha
- 서술 for Jeong Mil Ah
Best Folk Album
- Riverside for Jeong Mil Ah
- Two Faces for Hwang Pu Ha
- 봉오리 시절 for Heo Jeong Hyuk
- COMEDY for Yeoyu and Seolbin - WINNER
- Hometown to Come for Lee Min Hwi
- 우리는 서로를 간직 하려고 for Lee Hyung Ju
Best Metal and Hardcore Album
- 다떠위다 for hollow january
- Behind the Mask for Noeazy
- REASON FOR SILENCE for MAHATMA - WINNER
- If These Bodies Could Talk for Doguul
Best Global Contemporary Album
- 날초소 분석법 for dongyi
- Evolving for Iseul Kim's Two Voices
- Vals del Sí for HANEL
- COSMOS for Ensemble SINAWI
Best Jazz – Vocal Album
- Extraordinary for Kim Yu-jin - WINNER
- I Wished On The Moon for Moon Mi-hyang
- FLOW for Lim Mi-jung
- Liminal Silence for Sunny Kim, Vardan Ovsepian, Ben Monder
- Lawless Heart for Varden Ovsepian and Song Yi-jeon
- Good Match for Carina Nebula
Best Jazz – Instrumental Album
- Four Seasons for Lee Soo Jung - WINNER
- 마침내 나는 신록의 봉우리를 비집고 for Song Nam Hyun
- Intrinsic Nature for Jung Su Min
- Will It Be Spring Tomorrow? for Heo Daeuk
