Gaon Chart Music Awards 2021: How to watch, nominations and all you need to know about K-pop mega-event featuring BTS, Blackpink and Stray Kids

Gaon Chart Music Awards, one of the highly-anticipated K-pop award show is coming back on January 13, Wednesday. Though the award show will not be holding any live performances this year, the show packs quite a few surprises, according to reports. 

The Gaon Chart Music Awards, also known as Gaon Chart K-pop Awards, highlights the best of K-pop musical artistry and all the top albums that charted on Gaon of the previous year. The show started in 2011. It also garnered popularity through its global live coverage of the event through Mnet and Vlive. 

This year, the Gaon Chart K-pop awards will be hosted by popular K-pop girl group Itzy’s Lia and SM Entertainment’s iconic K-pop power group Super Junior’s Leeteuk. But this year, Gaon Chart Music Awards will not be holding any live performances due to its Covid-19 safety measures. In a statement, General Director of Gaon Music Awards Kwang-ho Choi said, "Even without a splendid performance, it is meaningful. I'll show you that an awards ceremony is possible.” 

Prior to the award ceremony, here are all the updates on the 10th edition of the Gaon Chart K-pop awards.

Date and time

The show is slated for January 13 at 7 pm KST.

Where to watch/ How to live stream

This year, the Gaon Chart K-pop awards will be broadcast through Mnet. For international K-pop fans, the show can also be watched on the Mubeat app. The delayed stream of the show can be watched from the Amazer app at 12 pm KST on January 14. 

Nominations

Artist of the Year (Digital Music)

December 2019

Davichi - ‘Dear’
Red Velvet - ‘Psycho’
Yerin Baek - ‘Square (2017)’
Baek Z Young - ‘No Love, No Heartbreak’
Jung Seung Hwan - ‘My Christmas Wish’

January 2020

BTS - ‘Black Swan’
YOUNHA - ‘Dark Cloud’
ZICO - ‘Any Song’
Girls' Generation Taeyeon - ‘Dear Me’
Paul Kim & Chungha - ‘Loveship'

February 2020

IZ*ONE - ‘Fiesta’
BTS - ‘On’
BTS - ‘Zero O'Clock’
BTS - ‘Friends’
BTS - ‘Filter’

March 2020

ITZY - ‘WANNABE’
WINNER - ‘Hold’
EXO Suho - ‘Let's Love’
M.C The MAX - ‘BLOOM’
OVAN - ‘I Need You’

April 2020

Apink - ‘Dumhdurum’
Oh My Girl - ‘Nonstop’
Oh My Girl - ‘Dolphin’
Kim Chungha - ‘Stay Tonight’
Paul Kim - ‘But I'll Miss You’

May 2020

EXO Baekhyun - ‘Candy’
BOL4 - ‘Leo’ (featuring EXO Baekhyun)
BOL4 - ‘Hug’
IU - ‘Eight’ (Prod. & Feat. BTS Suga)
Girls' Generation Taeyong - ‘Happy’

To check out the nominees for the next months, click here.

Artist of the Year (Physical Album)

1st Quarter

ATEEZ - ‘Treasure Epilogue: Action to Answer’
IZ*ONE - ‘BLOOM*IZ’
Stray Kids - ‘Cle: LEVANTER’
Red Velvet - ‘The ReVe Festival: Finale’
BTS - ‘Map of the Soul: 7’

2nd Quarter

GOT7 - ‘DYE’
NCT 127- ‘Neo Zone’
NCT 127 - ‘Neo Zone: The Final Round’
NCT Dream - ‘Reload’
EXO Baekhyun - ‘Delight’

Check out the nominees of the other two quarters here.

Rookie of the Year (Digital Music)

Aespa - ‘Black Mamba’
STAYC - ‘So Bad’
Bang Yedam - ‘WAYO’
Gyeong Seo Yeji - ‘Why Has Your Love Changed?’
Gunho - ‘Actually I Miss You’

Rookie of the Year (Physical Album)

CRAVITY - ‘Hideout: The New Day We Step Into - Season 2’
DRIPPIN - ‘Boyager’
ENHYPEN - ‘Border: Day One’
TREASURE - ‘The First Step: Chapter One’
WEi - ‘Identity: First Sight’

What fans are saying

K-pop fans from all over the world will be tuning in to the award show to celebrate the wins of their favourite K-pop groups. A fan of the K-pop group Enhypen posted, “I AM READY FOR JANUARY 13, 2021, ROTY FROM GAON CHART MUSIC AWARDS!”

A BTS ARMY page posted, “BTS_twt has already secured 6 awards for the 10th Gaon Chart Music Awards. Artist of the Year - Digital, February - ON, August - Dynamite, November - Life Goes On, *May - Eight by IU ft Suga *, Physical Album 1st Quarter - Map of the Soul: 7, 4th Quarter - BE (D.E)”

Another Enhypen fan posted, “If you are not aware, GCMA (Gaon Chart Music Awards) is tomorrow | January 13, 2021. There'll be no performance so probably a video greeting only. We don't know yet if Enha won the Physicals ROTY but let's hope for the best.”