31st Seoul Music Awards: 'SMA Rigged' trends as snubbed fandoms not happy with winners
The 2022 Seoul Music Awards finally took place on January 23. We had winners like EXO, IU, NCT 127, STAYC, and Omega X. There were also exciting performances by the likes of NCT Dream, Hyuna and Dawn, Oh My Girl, The Boyz, and Enhypen. Records were broken by trot singer Lim Youngwoong who was the most awarded artist at the 31st SMA. EXO and BTS tied as the most awarded artists in SMA history, while the former won the ‘K-Wave Popularity Award’ for the fifth time. We also have NCT 127 who got their first Daesang (Grand Prize) at the SMA.
With their longest-charting album on Billboard and a double-million seller, NCT 127 got the biggest prize at the award show. And while we had many deserving artists being nominated at the 31st Seoul Music Awards, not everyone won. Fans of acts like ITZY, TXT, Stray Kids, TWICE, and IVE were angry that their favorite artists were snubbed despite topping the charts in 2021. And while many celebrated that NCT 127 finally got their first Daesang, the fandom was torn as some felt that the sub-unit NCT Dream was more deserving than NCT 127.
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K-pop fans feel SMA was rigged
While international and Korean K-pop fans don’t agree on many things, both communities felt that the winners’ list of the 31st Seoul Music Awards was unfair. Fans of these snubbed acts ended up trending ‘SMA Rigged’ as they showed their displeasure on social media. Korean fans were harsh as one posted, “No, what is this..? Wow, Seoul Music Awards is even worse than AAA…” Another claimed that it felt like SMA was being partial to artists under SM Entertainment, “I guess SMA is SM Music Awards.” One Knetizen commented, “The Bongsangs are ridiculous ㅋㅋㅋㅋ F**k, if they're gonna do it like this, why have paid votes?”
One international fan tweeted, “TXT SKZ AND NCT DREAM WAS ROBBED CAUSE WHO TF WILL BELIEVE IT’S A FAIR AWARD WHEN BOTH TOP 2 IN VOTING DIDN’T WIN AND IF WE CALCULATE BASE ON OVERALL CRITERIA NCT DREAM HAS A VERY HIGH RANK. #SMArigged.” One fan was shocked that monster rookies IVE didn’t get ‘rookie of the year’, “WE ALL KNOW - 268k physical albums on ELEVEN - 11 music show wins in less than 2 MONTHS - ELEVEN TOP 5 in all Korean music platforms - ELEVEN TOP 1 in Youtube South Korea - ELEVEN TOP 1 in Spotify South Korea - Quadruple crowns on Music Core - Triple crowns on Inkigayo.”
TXT SKZ AND NCT DREAM WAS ROBBED CAUSE WHO TF WILL BELIEVE IT’S A FAIR AWARD WHEN BOTH TOP 2 IN VOTING DIDN’T WIN AND IF WE CALCULATE BASE ON OVERALL CRITERIA NCT DREAM HAS A VERY HIGH RANK. #SMArigged
— Nics ✙ 🎸 (@taegyuisty) January 23, 2022
WE ALL KNOW
— jay🍤 / ily miss jeju girl from IVE (@shin_ryujinph) January 23, 2022
- 268k physical albums on ELEVEN
- 11 music show wins in less than 2 MONTHS
- ELEVEN TOP 5 in all Korean music platforms
- ELEVEN TOP 1 in Youtube South Korea
- ELEVEN TOP 1 in Spotify South Korea
- Quadruple crowns on Music Core
- Triple crowns on Inkigayo#SMARigged pic.twitter.com/m4PdiI2g0d
With NCT Dream being the youngest act to be a triple-million seller, one fan posted, “NCT DREAM being "THE" group with the highest hanteo sales didn't even win a BONSANG….” However, one NCTzen felt that fans need not bring down NCT 127, “This is no excuse to attack 12,7 because they did great last year, it's just that the numbers show nc.t dr3am should've won.” One fan pointed out, “So you're telling me astro, rosé, lisa, txt, and nct dream didn't get a bonsang but other groups not even in the top 20 did??? what's the point in voting if organizations like sma are going to rig it anyways help.”
NCT DREAM being "THE" group with the highest hanteo sales didn't even win a BONSANG... #SMArigged so true.
— ً (@inahyuckist) January 23, 2022
This is no excuse to attack 12,7 because they did great last year, it's just that the numbers show nc.t dr3am should've won
— arohazen (slightly ia) (@sanhachenle) January 23, 2022
At least the common enemy was defeated tho 🚶🏽♀️
so you're telling me astro, rosé, lisa, txt, and nct dream didn't get a bonsang but other groups not even in the top 20 did??? what's the point in voting if organizations like sma are going to rig it anyways help 💀😭 #SMARigged
— Z 🍊 (@lightstormlisa) January 23, 2022
Another shared, “The one who is in top12 lost while those aren't in top20 or even in top25 get the bonsangs like what's the point of voting when you will rig it anw.” A fan felt that it was unfair that their votes were not even considered, "No cause we all worked so hard for that I spent so much time watching those videos and playing those quizzes just for sma pull this shit. Idc." Another claimed, "I'm not really surprised. it's an attendance/paid award. those who didn't even make it to top 20/top25 voting got bonsang. the whole kpop community should cancel these kind of awards. they're getting braver disrespecting the hardwork & achievements of artists & fans."
#SMArigged
— 🥑 Rosé's birthday countdown (@gloomie_bloomie) January 23, 2022
the one who is in top12 lost while those aren't in top20 or even in top25 get the bonsangs 🧘♀️ like what's the point of voting when you will rig it anw pic.twitter.com/NiKTIWMO49
No cause we all worked so hard for that I spent so much time watching those videos and playing those quizzes just for sma pull this shit. Idc #SMARigged
— ( mili ) (@izsparkIe) January 23, 2022
i'm not really surprised. it's an attendance/paid award. those who didn't even make it to top 20/top25 voting got bonsang. the whole kpop community should cancel these kind of awards. they're getting braver disrespecting the hardwork & achievements of artists & fans #SMArigged
— lisa data :) (@lalaluvlalisa) January 23, 2022
31st Seoul Music Award winners
The winners are:
Daesang (Grand Prize): NCT 127
Best Album Award: NCT Dream
Best Song Award: IU
World Best Artist Award: BTS
Bonsang (Main Award): Enhypen, Heize, Brave Girls, Oh My Girl, Kang Daniel, aespa, Ateez, NCT 127, The Boyz, Lim Youngwoong, BTS, Seventeen, IU
Best Performance Award: STAYC, Enhypen
OST Award: Lim Youngwoong
Trot Award: Lim Youngwoong
Ballad Award: Red Velvet’s Wendy
R&B/Hip Hop Award: Hyuna
Discovery of the Year: Lang Lee
Popularity Award (Korea): Lim Youngwoong
K-Wave Award (outside of Korea): EXO
U+ Idol Live Best Artist Award: BTS
Special Jury Award: Jung Dong-ha
Rookie of the Year: Lee Mujin, Omega X, Epex
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