Korean Music Awards (KMA) 2023 winners were revealed through an online event this year on Sunday, March 5, at 6 pm KST. People from various parts of the world, including the US, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, India, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Peru, Denmark, Europe, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the UK, watched the annual award ceremony live online from the comfort of their homes.
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.
The Korean Music Awards Selection Committee is hosting the star-studded event in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Korea Creative Content Agency. The event would recognize the best music released from December 2021 to November 2022. The winners of the 20th annual Korean Music Awards (KMA) were announced online for music lovers across the globe on Sunday, March 5.
Korean Music Awards 2023 Winners List
Album of the Year
- 250 for PPONG - WINNER
- The Black Skirts for TEEN TROUBLES
- Nucksal, CADEJO for Sincerely Yours
- Line and Circle for Night and Day
- Song Young Joo for Atmosphere
- NewJeans for New Jeans
Song of the Year
- (G)I-DLE for TOMBOY
- Silica Gel for NO PAIN
- Younha for Event Horizon - WINNER
- Jang Ki Ha for Envy None
- IVE for LOVE DIVE
- NewJeans for Attention
Artist of the Year
- 250 - WINNER
- Nucksal, CADEJO
- Younha
- Jang Ki Ha
- NewJeans
Rookie of the Year
- Kim Yujin
- Sion
- HANRORO
- IVE
- LE SSERAFIM
- NewJeans - WINNER
Best K-Pop Album
- (G)I-DLE for I Love
- (G)I-DLE for I NEVER DIE
- Girls' Generation's Taeyeon for INVU
- LE SSERAFIM for ANTIFRAGILE
- NewJeans for New Jeans - WINNER
Best K-Pop Song
- (G)I-DLE for TOMBOY
- IVE for LOVE DIVE
- LE SSERAFIM for ANTIFRAGILE
- NewJeans for Attention - WINNER
- Red Velvet for Feel My Rhythm
Best Pop Album
- Light & Salt for Here We Go
- AKMU's Lee Chan Hyuk for ERROR - WINNER
- Lim Young Woong for IM HERO
- Jang Ki Ha for Levitation
- Choi Beck Ho for Moment
Best Pop Song
- 250 for It Was All a Dream
- DAY6's Wonpil for A Journey
- Younha for Event Horizon - WINNER
- AKMU's Lee Chan Hyuk for Panorama
- Jang Ki Ha for Envy None
Best Rock Album
- Lanalogue for Stereo Out!
- Concorde for Supersonic Airliner - WINNER
- ABTB for iii
- BADLAMB for Universal Anxiety
- OVerdrive Philosophy for OVerdrive Philosophy
Best Rock Song
- BADLAMB for Love, Lies, Bleeding
- HarryBigButton for Thelma & Louise
- OVerdrive Philosophy for Painful Truth
- Jambinai for from the place been erased (feat. Sunwoojunga) - WINNER
- Concorde for Rainbow flowers are blooming
Best Modern Rock Album
- TRPP for Here to stay
- The Black Skirts for TEEN TROUBLES - WINNER
- The Bowls for Blast From The Past
- Say Sue Me for The Last Thing Left
- Huckleberryfinn for The Light Of Rain
Best Modern Rock Song
- Say Sue Me for To Dream
- Silica Gel for NO PAIN - WINNER
- Cho Yong Pil for Moment
- HANRORO for Let Me Love My Youth
- Huckleberryfinn for Tempest
Best R&B and Soul Album
- Slom for WEATHER REPORT
- A.TRAIN for PRIVATE PINK - WINNER
- CHE for Kpop
- Joe Layne for Life O Life
- Rad Museum for RAD
- Soul delivery for FOODCOURT
Best R&B and Soul Song
- BIBI for JOTTO - WINNER
- Sion for Braindead
- A.TRAIN for SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL (feat. Meaningful Stone, Simun, Seo Bo Kyung)
- Slom for ANIRAGO (feat. Zion.T)
- Soul delivery for NUGS (with THAMA)
Best Rap and Hip Hop Album
- Qim Isle for some hearts are for two
- Nucksal, CADEJO for Sincerely Yours - WINNER
- Lee Hyun Jun for Lost In Translation
- Paloalto for Dirt
- C JAMM for Ghenn
Best Rap and Hip Hop Song
- Nucksal, CADEJO for Good Morning Seoul - WINNER
- Lee Hyun Jun for White Lighter
- Zico for New Thing (prod. by Zico, feat. Homies)
- Paloalto for PRICELESS (feat. toigo)
- lobonabeat! for Birthday (feat. BILL STAX)
Best Electronic Album
- Two Tone Shape for Every Minute
- 250 for PPONG - WINNER
- Glen Check for Bleach
- Pierre Blanche for Ego
- Salamanda for ashbalkum
Best Electronic Song
- 250 for Bang Bus - WINNER
- Girls' Generation's Taeyeon for INVU (Moon Kyoo Remix)
- Glen Check for 4ever
- KIRARA for Stargaze
- Pierre Blanche for Infinite Circle (feat. Rondo Mo)
Best Folk Album
- Kim Mok In for Stored Images
- Lucid Fall for Voice beside Guitar
- Bae Young Gyoung for you my blue
- Summer of Thoughts for Hands
- Line and Circle for Night and Day - WINNER
Best Folk Song
- Kim Mok In for Walking in the City (feat. Dajung)
- Lucid Fall for A Small Handful of Songs
- Bae Young Gyoung for I love you (feat. Sunnie)
- Summer of Thoughts for Rambler (with Park Hyeli)
- Line and Circle for Night and Day - WINNER
Best Metal & Hardcore Album
- Seaweed Mustache for Bombora
- Visceral Explosion for Human Meat Distribution Process
- Dog Last Page for Drunken Dream
- Madmans Esprit for I See Myself Through You Who See Us Through Me - WINNER
- Nuclear Idiots for NCLRIDTS
Best Jazz Vocal Album
- Kim Ju Hwan for Candy: Memories of Nat King Cole Trio
- Youn Sun Nah for WAKING WORLD
- Maria Kim for Stellive Vol. 16 Two for the Road
- Song Yi Jeon & Vinicius Gomes for Home
- Kim Yujin for A Piece and the Whole - WINNER
Best Jazz Music Album
- Hoo Kim Big Band for Common Heritage of Humankind
- Kim Jung Sik for Hangul, Improvisation
- Mandong for Big Sun
- Song Young Joo for Atmosphere - WINNER
- Yu Tae Sung for Michelangelo
Best Global Contemporary Album
- Park Jiha for The Gleam
- BAUM SAE for COMMUNICATION
- Jung Jae Il for psalms - WINNER
- Ji Park, BlankFor.ms, VRI String Quartet for Syntropy
- Hwang Gina for Short film
- SINNOI for ILLUMINATION
