Amid legal dispute with Ador, NewJeans bags two awards at the ceremony

K-pop girl group aespa (Secretariat of Golden Disc Awards)
K-pop girl group aespa (Secretariat of Golden Disc Awards)

K-pop juggernaut aespa rang in the new year by taking home the grand prize at the 39th Golden Disc Awards, riding high on the success of its mega-hit "Supernova."

The K-pop girl group won in the Digital Song Division category at the two-day event that started Saturday at the Mizuho PayPay Dome in Fukuoka, Japan. The Sunday ceremony awarded artists in the Album Division category.

A live broadcast was canceled following acting President Choi Sang-mok's announcement of a weeklong national mourning through Saturday prompted by the Muan plane crash that claimed 179 lives. The prerecorded event will air Monday at midnight and Tuesday at 1:20 a.m. on JTBC.

While 2024 was a year brimming with new sounds resonating across genres for K-pop, aespa clinched the "Song of the Year" award, achieving the feat three years after the quartet notched the rookie awards in 2022.

"Supernova," the lead track of the band's first LP "Armageddon" released on May 27, topped the Melon streaming chart for six weeks straight. In October, the band continued its success with the techno-inspired "Whiplash," the main track of its fifth mini album.

The "Best Digital Song," also dubbed "Bonsang," went to NewJeans, Day6, Bibi, Ive, IU, Illit, aespa, Taeyeon of Girls' Generation, TWS and (G)I-dle.

The "Rookie Artist" award went to girl group Illit and boy band TWS, who took the music scene by storm with their debut songs "Magnetic" and "Plot Twist," respectively. Le Sserafim and the virtual five-member group Plave took home the "Most Popular Artist" award, which was voted by fans.

Also, NewJeans and Le Sserafim each bagged the "Cosmopolitan Artist" award and "Best Group award, respectively, while Day 6 won the "Best Band" award.

Kiss of Life won the "Next Generation" award, given to rising stars. The group debuted in July 2023 and quickly solidified its presence in the music world among the fifth generation of K-pop with its ear-catching songs, including "Sticky," released in July last year.

Crush's ballad "Love You With All My Heart," a soundtrack for tvN's "Queen of Tears starring Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won, received the "Best OST" award. The "Golden Honorable Choice" award went to the late singer Shin Hae-chul.


junheee@heraldcorp.com