Opinion | K-pop award shows – do we need so many? It’s 2022 and time to cut down
- Between August and February, K-pop year-end award shows overwhelm the industry, talent and fans, diluting artists’ achievements with show after show
- It feels like it’s time to rein things in and celebrate the biggest and brightest at fewer events
News last week of the K-pop-focused MAMA Awards planning a two-day event in Japan in November reminds us that the K-pop year-end award season is well and truly upon us.
Just about every single South Korean TV channel and media company holds a “year-end” event at some point between August and February, overwhelming the industry, talent and fans with show after show.
But when there are weekly K-pop music shows that hand out awards, and chart and streaming numbers that constantly show the milestones being made, what is award season aside from an excuse to see the stars dress up amazingly and perform some special sets?
This is not a question limited to the K-pop scene but one that can be extended to all awards shows in recent years, as they grapple to remain relevant in an era when it is largely fans, not industry insiders, who determine who the best acts are, mostly by way of streaming numbers and social media engagement.
One could argue that award shows at their heart aren’t about recognising popularity but rather artistic value, and that would be a good point. A handful are credited as making that distinction, such as the Korean Music Awards.
To be fair, some South Korean TV channels have already moved away from award shows, instead holding year-end music shows, known by most fans as “the gayos” (gayo meaning “Korean pop music”).
