The 23rd Korean Music Awards (KMA) took place in Seoul, South Korea. The ceremony celebrated the musical achievements of K-pop artists.
Effie led the nominations with six nods, followed by JENNIE, and NMIXX with five nods each. Lee Chan-hyuk emerged as the night’s biggest winner (3). JENNIE dominated in K-pop categories with Ruby and “Like JENNIE.”
The Korean Music Awards are widely regarded as one of South Korea’s most prestigious music honors, with a strong emphasis on artistic merit, innovation, and critical evaluation rather than commercial performance alone. Unlike fan-voted ceremonies, winners are selected by panels of critics, music journalists, and industry professionals.
You can see the complete list of winners for the 2026 Korean Music Awards below.
Song of the Year
NMIXX – Blue Valentine
Woo Huijin – spacious house
Lee Chanhyuk – Endangered Love *WINNER*
JENNIE – like JENNIE
CHUDAHYE CHAGIS – Heosse!
Album of the Year
Kwon Tree – The Fragrance of Life
Effie – pullup to busan 4 morE hypER summEr it’s gonna bEa fuckin moviE
Woo Huijin – pumping of heart is torturing
Lee Chanhyuk – EROS
JENNIE – Ruby
CHUDAHYE CHAGIS – SOSUMINJOK *WINNER*
Musician of the Year
Effie
Hanroro *WINNER*
Jennie
Lee Chan-hyuk
NMIXX
Best Pop Song
Yerin Baek – MIRROR
Lee Chanhyuk – Endangered Love *WINNER*
Lim Hyunjung – The Road to Me Is Beautiful
Jowall – Your Love as My Pretext (feat. Haepa)
HWASA – Good Goodbye
Best Pop Album
Yerin Baek – Flash and Core
Song Sohee – Re:5
Lee Chanhyuk – EROS *WINNER*
Lim Hyunjung – Extraordinary
Hyelyn Joo – stereo
Best K-Pop Song
Le Sserafim – Spaghetti (feat. j-hope of BTS)
ALLDAY PROJECT – FAMOUS
NMIXX – Blue Valentine
JENNIE – like JENNIE *WINNER*
Hearts2Hearts – FOCUS
Best K-Pop Album
MARK – The Firstfruit – The 1st Album
NMIXX – Blue Valentine
NMIXX – Fe304: FORWARD
JENNIE – Ruby *WINNER*
Chaeyoung (TWICE) – LIL FANTASY vol.1
Rookie of the Year
Gongwon
RAKUNELAMA
ALLDAY PROJECT
Woo Huijun *WINNER*
Peach Truck Hijackers
Best Rock Album
Green Flame Boys – Greenroof
Peach Truck Hijackers – Peach Truck Hijackers
Wah Wah Wah & Noridogam – UBUBU *WINNER*
YB – Odyssey
Best Rock Song
Bae Cheol-soo – “Ieodo Island (Parangdo Island)”
Green Flame Boys – “True Heart”
Lee Seung-yoon – “PunKanon” *WINNER*
Uinone – “Apocalypse”
Wah Wah Wah & Noridogam – “Uncertainty”
Best Alternative Rock Album
Gogohawk – Vol. 07
Hanroro – Jamong Salgu Club
Huijun Woo – Pumping of Heart is Torturing
Say Sue Me – Time is Not Yours
Shin In c – Shining Strike *WINNER*
Best Alternative Rock Song
Hanroro – “Goodbye, My Summer”
Huijun Woo – “Spacious House” *WINNER*
Jungwoo – “The Embers”
Noridogam – “Truthbuster”
Shin In Ryu – “Attack!”
Best Electronic Album
Bojvck – UnderNationWide
Effie – E
Kirara – Kirara *WINNER*
Necta – Seoul Bizarre
Yetsuby – 4EVA
Best Electronic Song
Effie – “Open Ur Eyes”
Kirara – “Music” (with Sunwoo Jung-a)
Melki – “Body Break” *WINNER*
Naojusung – “Eternal Sunshine” (featuring Meaningful Stone)
Necta – “Lady Love”
Best Rap/Hip-Hop Album
B-Free – Free the Mane 3 “Free the Mane vs. B-Free”
Effie – Pullup to Busan 4 More Hyper Summer It’s Gonna Be a Fuckin Movie
Sik-K & Lil Moshpit – K-Flip+ *WINNER*
Viceversa – Animal FKRY
Yumdda – Breathe 4
Best Rap/Hip-Hop Song
B-Free – “Nergal”
C Jamm – “Layered”
Effie – “Can I Sip 담배”
Sik-K & Lil Moshpit – “LOV3” (featuring Bryan Chase & Okasian) *WINNER*
Yumdda – “Irony”
Best R&B/Soul Album
Bibi – Eve: Romance
Chudahye Chagis – Sosuminjok
Jeebanoff – Misery
Shinjihang – Nong
Yoon Da-hye – Wang *WINNER*
Best R&B/Soul Song
A.TRAIN – “Povidone” (featuring Danpyunsun)
Chudahye Chagis – “Heosse!” *WINNER*
Hyelyn Joo – “Busy Boy”
Rakunelama – “B”
Yoon Da-hye – “Twin Flame”
Best Folk Album
Joung Tae-choon – Between Hard Rain
Kim Hwal-sung – The Remnant Forest
Kwon Tree – The Fragrance of Life*WINNER*
Lucid Fall – Elsewhere
Sanmanhan – Sanmanhan 2
Best Folk Song
Joung Tae-choon – “Between Hard Rain”
Kim Chang-wan – “A Day”
Kim Hwal-sung – “The Remnant Forest”
Kwon Tree – “Unknowingly, So Did I” *WINNER*
Sanmanhan – “Heart of a Dog”
Best Metal/Hardcore Album
Baan – Neumann *WINNER*
Chain Reaction – A Love Supreme
Dulom – Axiom Zero
Loss of infection – 罰錢
Methkamel – Circle
Best Global Contemporary Album
Gray by Silver – Time of Tree *WINNER*
Jeon Jin-hee – 雨後 uuhu
Jisu Jung & Baroque in Blue – Baroque in Blue
Jung Eun-hye, Cadejo, & Yechan Kim – Namdo Calling
Park Jiha – All Living Things
Best Jazz Album
Good Ol’days – Oldie but Goodie
Hakyung – Breathin In
Malo – Malo Live at Muddy *WINNER*
Maria Kim – Love Letters
Yunmi Kang & John Stowell – A Timeless Place
Best Jazz Instrumental Album
Mijung Lim – Impromptu *WINNER*
Shin Ah-ram – Bium Project II: After Bium
Sumin Jung – Remnants
Sunmi Hong – Fourth Page: Meaning of a Nest
Yonglee & the Doltang – Invisible Worker
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