1st Korean Music Awards

2004 awards in South Korea The first edition of the Korean Music Awards was held on March 17, 2004, recognizing music released in 2003. The event was organized by Munhwa Ilbo and Cultural Action, with support from KT, the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, and KTF. It originated from a perception in early 2003 that South Korea's popular music industry was facing a crisis. A selection committee was formed in September of the same year, and the awards ceremony was announced on February 23, 2004. Nominees were selected through an initial review by the selection committee and announced on February 28. Following the announcement, online voting was conducted. Hosted by Kim Kwang-jin and Lee Sang-eun, the ceremony took place at the 600th Anniversary Hall at Sungkyunkwan University. Despite Asoto Union, Big Mama, and Loveholics receiving the most nominations (4 each), no artist won more than once. The event was broadcast live by OhmyNews and Music City, while Mnet aired a recorded version. On April 2, a public forum was held to gather opinions about the event. While the ceremony faced some criticism, it was praised for challenging conventional, politically motivated music awards organized by broadcasting companies. Background thumb|Selection Committee Chair Kim Chang-nam Discussions about an alternative music awards ceremony, distinct from those held by broadcasting companies, began in early 2003.https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/047/0000043071?sid=105 A Music Awards Without Lee Hyori Park Hyung-sook 2004-02-23 OhmyNews Naver News https://web.archive.org/web/20230318043349/https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/047/0000043071?sid=105 2023-03-18 2023-03-18 Kim Chang-nam, a professor at Sungkonghoe University, stated that the event began with "an awareness that our popular music is in a serious crisis, both culturally and industrially."https://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2004031801011730030002 The 1st Korean Music Awards: Establishing Itself as an 'Alternative Award' Reflecting Musical Integrity Kim Chang-nam Kim Chang-nam (professor) 2004-03-18 Munhwa Ilbo https://web.archive.org/web/20230318082643/https://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2004031801011730030002 2023-03-18 2023-03-18 In early September 2003, the Coalition for the Reform of Popular Music (hereafter referred to as CRPM) held discussions to address issues surrounding the existing seven music awards ceremonies,This refers to the KBS Music Awards, MBC Ten Singers Music Festival, SBS Gayo Daejeon, KMTV Music Awards, Mnet Music Video Festival, Sports Seouls High1 Seoul Music Awards, and the Golden Disc Awards presented by Ilgan Sports and the Korea Music Content Association. deliberating on issuing statements about these problems during the year-end, a time when many of these ceremonies were held.Park Jun-heum http://gaseum.com/8180/article_show.asp?content_idx=513 How the Korean Music Awards Were Established 2004-03-25 Gaseum https://web.archive.org/web/20040423071857/http://gaseum.com/8180/article_show.asp?content_idx=513 2004-04-23 dead In the subsequent meeting, participants agreed to establish an award focused on music rather than commercial considerations, supported by sponsors and media partnerships. Cultural Action, a civic organization, brought together individuals, leading to the first meeting of the selection committee in late September. During this meeting, a 17-member selection committee was formed, including Kim Chang-nam as chair, alongside critics, journalists, and radio producers. The committee reached a consensus on establishing a new award for popular music.Lee Seung-hyung 2004-02-24 Focus on Artistic Merit to Ensure Objectivity https://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2004022401011930030004 https://web.archive.org/web/20230318082129/https://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2004022401011930030004 2023-03-18 2023-03-18 Munhwa Ilbo At the time, discussions included Munhwa Ilbos role in securing sponsorships and Cultural Action's participation. At this time, the name of the awards ceremony had not been finalized, and they temporarily used the title 'Korean Good Music Awards' (en Korean Good Music Awards, KGMA).https://ksoundlab.com/xe/soundawards/12954 Draft Plan for the Korean Music Awards (September 2003) Park Jun-heum July 4, 2018 Sound Network https://archive.today/20230331025732/https://ksoundlab.com/xe/soundawards/12954?ckattempt=1 2023-03-31 2023-03-31 During the second meeting, the general award categories and selection principles were discussed. However, due to difficulties in securing sponsorship, financial challenges arose. In January 2004, some members of the organizing committee suggested that only the results chosen by the judges should be disclosed to the public. Despite this, KT's sponsorship was ultimately secured,Kim Sang-man 첫 발 내딛은 자체가 의미 있는 일 The mere act of taking the first step is meaningful https://www.mediatoday.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=26855 2004-03-24 2023-03-18 ko https://web.archive.org/web/20230318092829/http://www.mediatoday.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=26855 2023-03-18 liveLee Seung-Hyung 2004-03-12 최고권위 '올해의 앨범' 누가 받을까 Who will receive the prestigious 'Album of the Year' award? https://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2004031201011930030001 2023-03-18 Moonhwa Ilbo 2023-03-18 https://archive.today/20230318044352/https://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2004031201011930030001 live and additional support was provided by the National Sports Promotion Corporation and KT Freetel.2004 한국대중음악상 http://kma2004.org/htm/main01_1.htm live https://web.archive.org/web/20040814155637/http://kma2004.org/htm/main01_1.htm 2004-08-14 한국대중음악상 ko Following this, on February 23, 2004, the organization held a press conference and announced that the inaugural Korean Popular Music Awards would take place on March 17, 2004, at Sungkyunkwan University's 600th Anniversary Hall. The event was intended to be modeled after the Grammy Awards.Hong Jaesung 2004-02-23 대안적 의미의 한국대중음악상 신설 Establishment of the Korean Popular Music Awards with an Alternative Meaning https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/001/0000574590?sid=103 live https://archive.today/20230318043104/https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/001/0000574590?sid=103#selection-1467.0-1474.0 2023-03-18 2023-03-18 Yeonhap News Naver NewsLee SeungHyung 2004-02-24 한국의 그래미 '대중음악상' 제정 Establishment of Korea's Grammy 'Popular Music Award' https://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2004022401010130030002 live https://web.archive.org/web/20230318084727/https://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2004022401010130030002 2023-03-18 2023-03-18 The selection committee chair, Kim Chang-nam, explained the purpose of the event as creating a ceremony that would "guarantee the quality of music and ensure objective authority," moving away from the tokenistic music awards typically held by broadcasting companies. Regarding the selection of candidates, the awards would be centered around albums and songs rather than individual artists, focusing on the quality of the work rather than sales figures. Im Jin-mo, a member of the selection committee, remarked during the press conference that unlike the 1980s, when there was consensus on award winners among both experts and fans, the current state of the music industry, where artists like Lee Hyori dominate, creates a sense of emptiness for both experts and fans. Lee Dong-yeon, another member of the selection committee and a member of the Culture and Social Research Institute at the Culture Solidarity, expressed that one of the goals of the event was to overcome the formal dichotomy of mainstream vs. alternative and popular vs. specialized music.Lee DongYeon 2004-03-12 두렵지만 기대되는 17일 The 17th, scary yet exciting https://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2004031201011930074001 https://web.archive.org/web/20230318041637/https://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2004031201011930074001 2023-03-18 2023-03-18 Ceremony left|thumb|250x250px|The ceremony was held at Sungkyunkwan University's 600th Anniversary Hall. The nominees for the ceremony were announced on February 28, 2004.https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/001/0000579193?sid=103 First Korean Music Awards Nominees Announced (Summary) Hong Je-seong 2004-02-28 Yonhap News Naver News https://web.archive.org/web/20230318040636/https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/001/0000579193?sid=103 2023-03-18 2023-03-18 While five nominees were standard for each category, six albums were nominated for Album of the Year due to a tie, and Blue Dawn was additionally nominated for Rookie of the Year based on unanimous agreement following a committee member's suggestion.http://www.kmusicawards.com/zeroboard/view.php?id=notice&page=1&sn1=&divpage=1&sn=off&ss=on&sc=on&select_arrange=headnum&desc=asc&no=6&PHPSESSID=da142d4265a8c8286c1999fad718343c First Korean Music Awards Nominees Announced 2004-02-28 Korean Music Awards usurped https://web.archive.org/web/20060116193235/http://www.kmusicawards.com/zeroboard/view.php?id=notice&page=1&sn1=&divpage=1&sn=off&ss=on&sc=on&select_arrange=headnum&desc=asc&no=6&PHPSESSID=da142d4265a8c8286c1999fad718343c 2006-01-16 Online voting began after the nominees were announced and continued until the day before the ceremony, March 16. Results from the selection committee and online voting were weighted 80% and 20%, respectively. According to Lee Dong-yeon, many first-round nominees were artists recommended by netizens. The ceremony took place on March 17, 2004, at Sungkyunkwan University's 600th Anniversary Hall. Kim Kwang-jin served as the male host, while Lee Sang-eun was selected as the female host after considering candidates such as Lee So-ra and Kim Yoon-ah.https://www.ohmynews.com/NWS_Web/View/at_pg.aspx?CNTN_CD=A0000173396&CMPT_CD=SEARCH Kim Kwang-jin Hosts, Performances by Big Mama and Wheesung Free of Charge Park Hyung-sook 2004-03-08 OhmyNews https://web.archive.org/web/20230318090544/https://www.ohmynews.com/NWS_Web/View/at_pg.aspx?CNTN_CD=A0000173396&CMPT_CD=SEARCH 2023-03-18 2023-03-18https://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2004031701010130030002 First Korean Music Awards Ceremony on March 17 Lee Seung-hyung 2004-03-17 Munhwa Ilbo https://web.archive.org/web/20230319061327/https://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2004031701010130030002 2023-03-19 2023-03-19 The event, which lasted two and a half hours, was divided into two parts and included 14 award categories. A total of 12 performances were held, including Cocore's opening act and Lee Jung-sun's closing act, all without performance fees. Presenters included Han Dae-soo, Kang San-ae, Ahn Heung-chan, Joo Sang-kyun, Jeon Yu-seong, and Jung Hye-won of Coloring Baby 7 Princesses.https://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2004031801011630315002 (First Korean Music Awards) 7-Year-Old Girl Presents Rookie of the Year Award Kim Nam-seok 2004-03-18 Munhwa Ilbo https://web.archive.org/web/20230318034330/https://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2004031801011630315002 2023-03-18 2023-03-18 The selection committee established a principle of conducting a revote when the score difference between the top and remaining candidates was within one point. As a result, revotes occurred in categories such as Album of the Year (The The Band, Florist, Like the Bible), Female Artist of the Year (Lee Sang-eun, BoA, Lee Soo-young), Male Artist of the Year (Cho Yong-pil, Wheesung), and Best Rock Music (Cocore, Nell).https://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2004031801011630030002 (First Korean Music Awards) The The Band, Loveholic, Big Mama Compete by 1-Point Margin Lee Seung-hyung 2004-03-18 Munhwa Ilbo https://web.archive.org/web/20230318140659/https://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2004031801011630030002 2023-03-18 2023-03-18 The Special Jury Award, originally intended for one recipient, was given to two: Asoto Union and Jeon Kyung-ok, following committee discussions. The ceremony emphasized its non-commercial nature, distributing approximately 400 invitations to the public on a first-come, first-served basis via the official website. The event was broadcast live on OhmyNews and Music City, and a recorded version aired on Mnet. Nominees and winners thumb|200x200px|Wheesung (pictured) won the Male Artist of the Year award. thumb|179x179px|Big Mama (pictured) was nominated in four categories, including Artist of the Year – Group and Album of the Year. thumb|205x205px|Jung Jae-il (pictured) won the New Artist of the Year award and was nominated for Song of the Year for "Tears Flower." thumb|186x186px|Defconn (pictured) won the Best Hip-Hop & Dance category. Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface, and indicated with a double dagger (‡).https://koreanmusicawards.com/archive/?_sft_nominee_year=2004 Korean Music Awards - Archive - 2004 Korean Music Awards https://archive.today/20230318033107/https://koreanmusicawards.com/archive/?_sft_nominee_year=2004 2023-03-18 2023-03-18 #EEDD82 Album of the Year The The – The The Band (‡) Loveholics – Florist Big Mama – Like the Bible Asoto Union – Sound Renovates a Structure Yi Sung Yol – This Day, At This Time.... Cocore – Super Stars #EEDD82 Song of the Year Loveholics – "Loveholic" (‡) The The – "You" Delispice – "Confession" Yoon Gun – "By Chance" Jung Jae-il – "Tear Flower" #EEDD82 Male Artist of the Year Wheesung (‡) Yoon Gun Yi Sung Yol Lee Juck Cho Yong-pil #EEDD82 Female Artist of the Year Lee Tzsche (‡) BoA Lee Soo-young Han Young Ae BMK #EEDD82 Group of the Year Big Mama (‡) The The Delispice Loveholics Asoto Union #EEDD82 New Artist of the Year Jung Jae-il (‡) Big Mama Asoto Union Jeju Sonyeon bluedawn Tim #EEDD82 Best Rock Album Cocore – Super Stars Winner Nell – Let It Rain Delispice – Espresso Loveholics – Florist Sweater – Humming Street #EEDD82 Best Hip-Hop & Dance Album Defconn – Lesson 4 the People Winner Drunken Tiger – Foundation Leessang – Jae, Gyebal Epik High – Map of the Human Soul Joosuc – Superior Vol.1: This Iz My Life MC Sniper – Intro #EEDD82 Best R&B & Ballad Album Yoon Gun – Yoon Gun Winner Big Mama – Like the Bible Asoto Union – Sound Renovates a Structure Jo Kyu-chan – Single Note Wheesung – It's Real #EEDD82 Best Crossover Album Na Yoon-sun – Down By Love Winner Lee Byung-woo – Absorption Jeon Gyeong-ok – Love Sick DJ Soulscape – Lovers JS Culture – Missing #EEDD82 Best Film & Drama Music Lee Byung-woo – Untold Scandal Winner Kim Jun-seok – Singles Jo Yeong-wook – Oldboy Bang Jun-seok – ...ing Won Il – Sky Blue #EEDD82 Best Label Fluxus Music Winner Cabaret Sound M-Boat #EEDD82 Special Jury Award Asoto Union Winner Jeon Gyeong-ok Winner #EEDD82 Lifetime Achievement Award Lee Jung-seon WinnerThe Munhwa Daily reported that the candidates for the Lifetime Achievement Award were Cho Yong Pil, Lee Jung Seon, and Han Dae Su, but only Lee Jung Seon is mentioned in the Korean Music Awards archive.https://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2004030101011330030006 Korean Music Awards 1st Round Nominees Released 2004-03-01 Lee Seung Hyung Munhwa Daily https://web.archive.org/web/20230318085200/https://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2004030101011330030006 2023-03-18 The Korean Music Awards archive indicates that Lee Jung Seon won the award. In later years, Han Dae Su and Cho Yong Pil received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005 and 2006, respectively.https://www.seoul.co.kr/news/newsView.php?id=20050304025001 Clazziquai Nominated in Five Categories Park Sang Sook 2005-03-04 Seoul Newspaper https://archive.today/20230318085320/https://www.seoul.co.kr/news/newsView.php?id=20050304025001 2023-03-18https://www.khan.co.kr/article/200603151820391 'Second Moon' Wins Three Awards at Korean Music Awards Kim Hee Yeon 2006-03-15 Kyunghyang Newspaper https://web.archive.org/web/20230318085417/https://www.khan.co.kr/article/200603151820391 2023-03-18 Nominees in multiple categories Four nominations Loveholics Big Mama Asoto UnionAsoto Union was nominated in four categories at the time of the nominations announcement but won the Special Jury Award at the ceremony.https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/001/0000579193?sid=103 1st Korean Music Awards Nominations Announced (Complete) February 28, 2004 Hong Je-seong Yonhap News https://web.archive.org/web/20230318040636/https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/001/0000579193?sid=103 2023-03-18 2023-03-18 Naver News Three nominations The The Delispice Yoon Gun Two nominations Jung Jaeil Lee Seung Yeol Cocore Wheesung Reactions and aftermath Before the ceremony, Ohmynews Ju Cheol-hwan expressed full understanding of the award's establishment purpose but raised concerns about "how the authenticity of popular music would be judged".https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/047/0000043479 Why 'Wheesung' Was Chosen Over 'Rain' Ju Cheol-hwan March 3, 2004 Ohmynews Naver News https://web.archive.org/web/20230318042258/https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/047/0000043479 2023-03-18 2023-03-18 Kim Chang-nam wrote in the Munhwa Ilbo that although there were many challenges in organizing the ceremony, "at least we have clearly and successfully made our first step". Jo Seong-jin, the editor-in-chief of Hot Music, pointed out issues with the small and unrepresentative selection committee compared to global awards like the Grammys and criticized the involvement of Cultural Action and the Munhwa Ilbo as the event's organizers.http://www.mediatoday.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=26854 "Selection Committee's Representation Issues" An Gyeong-sook March 24, 2004 Media Today https://web.archive.org/web/20230318092346/http://www.mediatoday.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=26854 2023-03-18 2023-03-18 Kim Chang-nam acknowledged the criticism regarding the number of judges and the involvement of a media company, stating, "Who would sponsor an award ceremony run by civic groups?" He also mentioned that more genre categories, especially for heavy metal, would be considered in the future. After the ceremony, on April 2, Cultural Action hosted a public debate. Ju Cheol-hwan, who participated, argued that discussions with the PD Association and other stakeholders were necessary, while Lee Jong-hyun, the former representative of Master Plan, criticized the serious tone of the ceremony, likening it to a "movement-based award ceremony".https://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2004040501011530030004 "The Absence of the Public in the Korean Music Awards" Lee Seung-hyung April 5, 2004 Munhwa Ilbo https://web.archive.org/web/20230319062344/https://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2004040501011530030004 2023-03-19 2023-03-19 Seoul Newspapers Park Sang-sook noted that the Korean Music Awards "brought a fresh wind" and served as a signal for the abolition of traditional music awards.https://www.seoul.co.kr/news/newsView.php?id=20041224025003 [Review of 2004 Culture] ⑤ Popular Music Park Sang-sook December 24, 2004 Seoul Newspaper https://archive.today/20230319061131/https://www.seoul.co.kr/news/newsView.php?id=20041224025003#selection-845.0-850.0 2023-03-19 2023-03-19 Articles from Yonhap and Herald Economy also highlighted the positive reception of the Korean Music Awards in articles reviewing Korean music in 2004.https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=001&aid=0000852625 2004 Cultural Arts Review - ⑬ Pop Music Hong Je-seong December 15, 2004 Yonhap Naver News https://web.archive.org/web/20230319063656/https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=001&aid=0000852625 2023-03-19 2023-03-19https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=112&aid=0000001527 [Year-End Review of Popular Music] Despite Severe Decline in the Album Market, Quality Improves Kim Go-geum-pyeong December 20, 2004 Herald Economy Naver News https://archive.today/20230319063710/https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=112&aid=0000001527#selection-1149.4-1152.0 2023-03-19 2023-03-19 Footnotes Notes References 2 External links Official Website 2003 September 'Korea's Good Music Awards' Proposal Category:2003 awards Category:March 2004 Category:2004 in South Korea