The Golden Disc Awards(GDA) combines moments of laughter and emotion. The last 33 years of tradition and authority ceremony was creating a space of the greatest of the party’s top stars of the festival.
The “34th Golden Disc Awards,” which will be held for two days at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Jan. 4 and 5, will also bring together artists who have been active in their respective positions for a year. Music fans around the world are paying attention to who the glory’s golden trophy will go to, and what scenes will resonate with audiences and viewers. Prior to the award ceremony, we selected 10 of the best moments ever created at the Golden Disc Awards.
BTS won Rookie Award to Daesang Award
On June 13, 2013, hip-hop KPOP idol BTS, asking about their dreams, made their K-pop debut. Making a mixtape, they challenged major scenes with “No More Dream” as a group that also paid attention to the underground-hip scene.
Those who received the Rookie of the Year award at the 28th GDA said, “We will try harder because we know it was the award that you gave us to work hard. We really appreciate and love the ARMY who has supported us since the group was first formed.”
After their debut, they shed tears of emotion with a trophy for the Daesang Award, more than five years later. When BTS was called as the winner for the Album of the Year Award at 32nd GDA with “Love Yourself,” member RM jumped up and was so happy that he knocked over the seats and tables.
They said, “There were always our company and producer Bang Si-hyuk and our staff, members who worked hard not to look back, and most of all, there were ARMYs who always supported and loved us. I don’t know how far I’ll go, but I want to be with you all the time,” RM said.
After holding the trophy for the second straight year at the 33rd GDA, RM said, “I got the fruits of my hard work last year. Many references were burdensome and difficult, and we were frustrated that they were carrying more water than the desired ambition. Now I’m proud of the name BTS. I think the countless references that made us suffer will melt naturally if we work hard. I really appreciate it,” RM said, showing the humility of the world’s top KPOP boy group.
Byun Jin-Sub, won the Rookie of the Year award and the Daesang Award at the same time with a debut album
Byun Jin-Sub holds the unique record of winning the 1988 Rookie of the Year Award and the 1989 Daesang Award for his first album “To Be Alone.” The album contains such masterpieces as “I Will Be a Hall,” “It Is Too Late,” “Like Birds,” and “All You Can Give Me is Love.” He won the Rookie of the Year Award for “To Be Hole” and the honor of the Daesang Award for “It’s Too Late.”
According to the Korean Music Statistics Yearbook, Byun Jin-Sub has posted sales of 1.31 million copies and has become the first Korean music seller to become the country’s first Million-Seller.
Byun Jin-sup said, “The combined number of records sold illegally on the streets would have sold 3 million copies unofficially. I was too young then and I liked it because it was so great, I couldn’t tell you how I felt either like or not,” he recalled. He said he would become a singer who works harder in the future with a frozen face. In response, he said, “It was a tremendous honor, a thrill, and gratitude. Looking back on music life so far, it will be hard to enjoy such unaffordable popularity as it was. I don’t think there will be any more in the future,” he laughed.
Cho Yong-Pil, Daesang Award in 1986 → Bonsang Award in 2014, King of Singer
Cho Yong-Pil is the main character of the first episode of “Korea Video Music Awards,” the predecessor of the Golden Disc Awards. Since winning the Daesang Award, he has declared his absence from all awards ceremonies and confirmed that he will hand over the award to his juniors.
The decision was made because he thought his younger colleagues were hurt by his huge popularity. However, the ripple effect of “King of Singer” Cho Yong-Pil continued in the 2010s. In 2013, its 19th full-length album “Hello” posted sales of 250,000 copies without making any special appearance on the TV show. The title track “Bounce” showed its ability to stay at the top of the online music charts for about three months since its release in April.
Music critics picked “Hello” as one of the best records of the 2010s. Cho Yong-Pil did not reverse his absence from the awards ceremony at the request of the Golden Disc Awards secretariat. However, he said in a video interview, “Golden Disc and I have a very special relationship. In 1986, he won the Daesnag Award for his eighth album “The Air.” I always think about it, but it’s my dream to stay with you for a long time and to be remembered. I will try hard,” he said, replacing his appearance.
TWICE, from the Rookie of the Year Award to Daesang Award takes only one Year
TWICE, which debuted in 2015 with “Like OOH-AHH,” has an unusual record at the Golden Disc Awards for every song it releases, including “Cheer Up,” “TT,” “Likey,” “Heart Shaker,” “Dance the Night Away,” “Yes or Yes,” “Fancy” and “Feel Special.” TWICE received the 30th Rookie of the Year Award and showed remarkable growth in just one year, earning the honor of the 31st Daesang Award.
It sparked the “Shash-shah-shah~” craze across the country and won the Digital Music of the Year trophy for “Cheer-up.” TWICE, when was called to the stage for the Daesang Award, they burst into tears. “I didn’t think about it, but I think it’s more than enough to get it. It is also an honor to receive in front of many seniors. It’s only been a year since we debuted, and I’m really grateful for such a big award. I will try to be better TWICE. I love you guys so much. I hope you keep an eye on us.” TWICE’s record is currently in progress. It has established itself as an Asian one-top girl group in name and produced unique results for both the Digital Music of the Year category and Album of the Year category. TWICE also confirmed their attendance at the 34th GDA ceremony.
H.O.T. is the first idol group to receive the Daesang Award
In the late 1990s, when the competition for first-generation KPOP idols was on fire, the Golden Disc Awards gave H.O.T. the group’s first Daesang Award. H.O.T. is the first group to define a current K-pop idol group. The main vocal was composed as a rapper and captured fans across the country with their respective characters, including those in charge of entertainment and singing.
H.O.T. also joined the Chinese market and became the first Korean singer to hold a solo concert in Beijing. In 1999, it opened the doors for Hallyu, winning the “International Viewer’s Choice” category at the MTV Video Awards in the U.S. for “Line Up!”
The winning of the Album of the Year Award at 12th GDA, “Full of Happiness,” is on its second album “Wolf and Sheep.” The album sold more than 1.5 million copies, marking the highest sales figure of the year.
It was the only million-seller in the music market that was dented by the IMF at the time. Tony An, who recalled the moment they received the Daesang Award, received it with ‘Full of Happiness.’ “Golden Disc was the most unpredictable award ceremony. Because GDA gave the Award based on the album sales, I expected it from the bottom of my heart, but I honestly felt like I didn’t know,” he said.
It was Kim Jong-hwan, not H.O.T. or Sechskies
The Golden Disc Awards has been fair enough to keep singers on their toes. The 13th award ceremony in 1998 is recorded as a representative event that showed public confidence and authority.
Kim Jong-hwan, the winner of the Daesang Award, won the trophy solely in record sales, despite having done little broadcasting.
At that time, competition for fandom was fierce due to the soaring popularity of idol groups, and the power of middle-aged people who sold 3 million copies contributed to the award. Kim Jong-hwan, who won the Daesang Award for “For Love,” said “I will repay all the sisters(fans) in the country with music. This is the moment that remains in my mind for the rest of my life,” he said in a later interview with the daily Sports.
It was literally shocking. “There are H.O.T., Sechskies, Seo Taiji and Boys, Kim Gun-mo, Shin Seung-hoon, Turbo, and Jo Sung-mo but they called my name, I was so surprised,” he recalled. “People around me said that they showed that they can win the Daesang Award even with quiet songs could win between trot and idol genres,” he was thrilled.
EXO to Won Golden Disc First 4 Years in a row
EXO has made a historic page in Golden Disc Awards history. It holds the record of four consecutive winnings the Daesang Awards. (28th to 31st GDA)
With the advent of the digital music era, the company has overcome the slump in the music market with unique fandom power. This is the result of increasing the value of the album’s collection through packaging that contains content rather than simply a bowl of CDs.
Combined with regular and repackaged records, the album has sold more than 1 million copies in five consecutive albums, achieving “Quintuple Million-sellers.”
The accumulated sales volume of albums released since their debut in 2012 surpassed 10 million copies last year. EXO is the first KPOP group to join the record since the 2000s. “I did a Golden Disc search with very little expectations, and this year’s award is the fourth year in a row,” EXO said after winning the 31st trophy. “I saw an article that said it would be the first time for such a team to be recorded. I really appreciate it,” he said.
Rain’s special stage
With the advent of the “Role Model” Rain’s stage has heated up. He took the special stage at the 31st ceremony and performed numerous hit songs that he has released since his debut in 2002, including “How to Run From the Sun,” “It’s Raining,” “Love Song” and “Rainism,” “Instead say Goodbye.”
The junior singers who had performed Rain’s cover once were left to sing. SHINee, EXO, BTS, GOT7, Red Velvet, Seventeen and NCT 127 were perfectly familiar with the choreography and followed it.
As Rain raised his hands, his juniors also raised their hands and responded, realizing the harmony between seniors and juniors. Rain’s stolen performance drew an automatic standing ovation as well as admiration. In particular, BTS’s Jungkook was caught on camera by fans and easily surpassed 1 million views on YouTube.
Lee Hi, the heartfelt memorial stage for the late Jong-hyun
Lee Hi took the 32nd award ceremony to pay tribute to the late Jong-hyun.
She chose the late Jong-hyun’s self-written song “Breathe,” as she intended to join the memorial performance even if she is not a winner.
Wearing black on stage, she sang with emotion and burst into tears. Many audiences and fans applauded the performance and missed the deceased together. “Please remember Jong-hyun who loved music and the stage for a long time and I hope you will remember him and watch him from now on,” said SHINee Minho and Taemin, who received the trophy on behalf of Jong-hyun, the winner of the Bonsang Award.
Super Junior, who won the Bonsang Award together, said, “Thank you for grieving and missing Jong-hyun a lot. I hope you will remember Jong-hyun forever,” he said. After the award ceremony, Taeyeon said on Instagram Live, “I watched Lee Hi’s perform so well. I wanted to be helpful in singing. I wanted to comfort you, but at that moment the distance felt too far. I’m more grateful for your wonderful performance,” she said.
The late Kim Hyun-sik’s son Wan-je received the Daesang Award as a substitute
The late Kim Hyun-sik died of liver cirrhosis caused by alcoholism at a young age of 33. His sixth album “My Love Beside Me,” a collection of his own works that he left behind while hemoptysis, received nationwide love with nearly 2 million copies of the album sales.
According to data released by the media at the end of that year, Kim Hyun-sik’s “My Love Beside Me” resonated more on the street than Christmas carols. It was also remade in Taiwan by Korean singer Jang Ho-chul and became popular. The Daesang Award trophy for the 6th GDA was undoubtedly sent to the deceased Kim Hyun-sik. His son Wan-je(7 years old at that time), who took the stage on behalf of his late father, made the audience cry with a feeling that he wanted to see his father.
Later, Kim Wan-je released a remake album of Kim Hyun-sik in 2010 and announced his debut as a singer with the song.