The SM Entertainment girl group aespa continued to make proud achievements in the year-end awards season by picking up a trophy at the 36th Golden Disc Awards which was held on January 8, 2022. However, the Artist of the Year award won by Karina and friends was disputed by netizens.
In particular, aespa made fans proud by receiving four awards, namely Digital Song Division Bonsang, Cosmopolitan Artist Award, Best Rookie Artist and Artist of the Year. Of all, the Artist of the Year award is the most controversial.
The Artist of the Year award was first created at this year's Golden Disc Awards. It sounds like a Daesang award like any other award ceremony, but the truth is, the Golden Disc Awards only have two Daesangs which are about physical albums and digital singles.
The fact that AESPA is included in this new award makes people wonder, why in the exact year that AESPA was present, GDA made this new award? San does aespa really deserve the title of Artist of the Year?
In addition to congratulations, many comments from netizens expressed disapproval of this award. Netizens dispute this award for various reasons.
"This is quite funny, isn't it? MMA (Melon Music Awards) has reopened the Daesang Record of the Year award even though it was abandoned in 2020 while GDA also gave birth to the Artist of the Year award," commented a netizen.
"This is not a Daesang but Artist of the Year is also a prestigious name. In general, aespa is not worthy enough, considering their achievements in every way. It would make more sense if they received this award a few years later after they made it to the top," he added. other netizens.
"This group has tremendous power, right? Wherever they go, more awards will be 'born,'" netizens quipped. "If they make a new award, they should name it Breakthrough Artist or something. This name sounds like the name Daesang," wrote a netizen.
"Honestly, hearing his name, everyone will think it is the most prestigious award in an award ceremony. This award should be the Energetic Artist of the Year, right? And I can predict this award will disappear next year," said another.
"Is there anything that proves this group deserves the title of Artist of the Year? Their albums and digital records are not the best, and if it's hard work that makes them deserve it, any artist deserves it," concluded another.
However, aespa is not completely unworthy of this award. According to several Korean news sites, aespa received the Artist of the Year award at the 2022 Golden Disc Award because last year, the group had managed to get the title of a "metaverse" girl group with many hit songs such as "Next Level" and "Savage." (wk/chus)
