BTS earns five nominations for 2021 Korean Music Awards

This photo, provided by Big Hit Entertainment, shows BTS attending an online media event in Seoul on Sept. 2, 2020. (Big Hit Entertainment) via The Korea Herald

SEOUL — Superstar BTS has earned five nominations for the 2021 Korean Music Awards with its record-breaking albums and songs released last year.

BTS has been named in the Musician of the Year, the Album of the Year, the Song of the Year, the Best Pop Album and the Best Pop Song categories, becoming one of the five acts with the most nominations, the awards’ selection committee said in an online press conference held Tuesday.

The four other most-nominated acts were Leenalchi, a sensational alternative pop band, and female singer-songwriters Baek Yerin, Sunwoo Jung-a and Jeongmilla.

“The five nominees must be mentioned when discussing the popular music of 2020, considering their musical reviews, the impact of performances and other aspects,” Kim Yun-ha, one of the committee members, said.

The septet clinched nominations for the Album of the Year and the Best Pop Album with “Map of the Soul: 7,” its album featuring hit tracks “On” and “Boy with Luv,” released in February of last year.

“Dynamite,” a disco-pop single that conquered the Billboard’s main singles chart after being dropped in August, got nominated for the Song of the Year and the Best Pop Song categories.

Baek, one of the country’s most popular female soloists, also received nominations for the same categories as BTS, with her first full-length album, “Every Letter I Sent You,” and its main track, “Square.”

Leenalchi, a Korean band that gained popularity with songs inspired by traditional Korean music, was named in five categories — the Musician of the Year, the Album of the Year, the Song of the Year, the Best Jazz & Crossover Album and the Best Modern Rock Song.

The nominees for the upcoming Korean Music Awards were selected by 65 committee members, including music critics, journalists, and music television show producers.

They reviewed albums and songs released between Dec. 1, 2019, and Nov. 30, 2020.

The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony scheduled to be livestreamed online at 6 p.m. on Feb. 28 amid the new coronavirus pandemic. (Yonhap)