K-pop fans are rejoicing as the 2022 American Music Awards added the phenomenal Korean music genre to its categories.
The category is called Favorite K-pop artist.
The nominees are Blackpink, BTS, Seventeen, Tomorrow X Together, and Twice. They were chosen based on their respective appearances on the Billboard charts. The winner will be announced at the AMA show on 20 November.
BTS, Seventeen, and Tomorrow X Together are signed with entertainment conglomerate Hybe Corporation.
Hybe, originally named Big Hit Entertainment which was also BTS’ record label, expanded to oversee seven record labels following BTS’ international success.
In 2018, BTS won its first AMA for Favorite Social Artist. In 2021 it became the first Asian artist to win AMA’s Artist of the Year.
Blackpink’s record label, YG Entertainment, launched the careers of Big Bang and 2NE1, while Twice’s record label, JYP Entertainment, discovered the Wonder Girls, the first Korean act to land on Billboard›s Hot 100 in 2008.
A report on asiafundmanagers.com said “the K-Pop industry generates about $10 billion for South Korea each year, according to estimates.
“The K-pop phenomenon is worldwide, with some of the major markets being the United States, India, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Germany, UK, the Philippines, Japan, and France.”