Ace of Aces: The 5th HallyuAwards
Now in its fifth year, the annual HallyuAwards recognizing Hallyu excellence among K-artists comes back with bigger stakes and the theme: Who will be the ace of aces? The said online voting competition is led by HallyUP, the premier Korean popular culture organization in the University of the Philippines — Diliman. This time, artists and voters alike put all their cards on the table for a chance at an Instagram video advertisement and cash prize, respectively.
HallyUP opened the nominations and pre-voting for the 5th HallyuAwards to resident members of the organization from November 11 to November 18. Only K-releases from December 2022 to November 2023 were eligible for nominations in 28 categories listed under Music & Performance, Artists, and Drama & Entertainment. The top four nominees in each category were announced on HallyUP’s Facebook page for public voting from December 1 until December 31. A Twitter poll was also conducted by HallyUP from December 20 to December 27.
In addition to the 28 categories, the nominees with the highest overall votes under the Artists and Drama & Entertainment sections were conferred with Artist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year awards. These two major award winners will snag an Instagram video advertisement backed by HallyUP, alongside the Song of the Year and Album of the Year winners. Meanwhile, up to five voters had the chance to win a Php 200 G-cash prize each for their efforts in supporting their favorite artists.
Read more about the kings and queens who dominated the Hallyu scene in the past year below!
Music & Performance
(G)I-DLE
Song of the Year — Queencard
(G)I-DLE continued to grow in popularity in 2023 with their sixth mini-album “I feel”. Besides winning Album of the Year at the Asian Pop Music Awards, “I feel” also had 1.1 million pre-orders, the highest record for the group since their debut in 2013. Its fierce and fun title track “Queencard” also attracted 12 music show wins, their highest number so far. With the public’s support, “Queencard” has since amassed 289 million views on YouTube and 225 million streams on Spotify since its release. The group had a busy year–on top of their successful comeback, they also kicked off their “I am FREE-TY” tour in Seoul last June 16 and 17, and released their first English single and EP in collaboration with the American music company 88rising.
SEVENTEEN
Album of the Year — Seventeenth Heaven; Music Video of the Year — Super; Best Dance Performance — Super; Best Rap Performance — Monster; Best Collaboration — BSS ft. Lee Young Ji; Best Male Group; Best Reality Show — Going Seventeen
Another group that broke their personal records this year is SEVENTEEN, who released their 10th mini album “FML”, their first Japanese album “Always Yours”, and their 11th EP “SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN”. For the first time in their nine-year history, they achieved a MAMA award for Album of the Year with “FML”. They also became the first artist in Japan to receive a back-to-back million-seller status with “Always Yours”. Meanwhile, “SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN” became their first EP to surpass five million copies on its release. Unsurprisingly, SEVENTEEN also snagged many awards for their songs in the 5th HallyuAwards. Their high-energy choreography and performance in “Super” was voted as Music Video of the Year and Best Dance Performance, while “Monster” won Best Rap Performance.
SEVENTEEN snagged seven awards from this year’s 5th HallyuAwards, including Best Reality Show for their GOING SEVENTEEN series on their YouTube channel. Most recently, they uploaded a two-part horror special and a compilation called “2023 Best of GOING SEVENTEEN”.
BooSeokSoon (BSS)
Group activities aside, the trio sub-unit BooSeokSoon (BSS) also made their comeback after five years with their first single album “Second Wind”. On their song “Fighting” featuring Lee Young Ji, the trio commented that she was the perfect addition to amplify the positive spirit they wanted to deliver. The title had eight music show wins and entered the Billboard Japan Hot 100, South Korea’s Circle Digital Chart, and the World Digital Song Sales Chart. Filipino Carats also had the chance to witness a live stage of the hit song at the 2023 Asia Artist Awards held at the Philippine Arena.
ZEROBASEONE
Debut of the Year — In Bloom; Best New Male Group
ZEROBASEONE or ZB1 was formed from 90 idol hopefuls in Mnet’s “Boys Planet” reality competition. The nine-member group debuted in July with the title track “In Bloom”, showcasing their youthful essence. Despite being new, ZB1 was quick to rise to the ranks and won Best New Male Artist at the 2023 MAMA Awards, as well as Best New Artist at the 2023 Melon Music Awards. This year, they are set to have another comeback and their first world tour.
AKMU
Best Vocal Performance — Love Lee
After a two-year hiatus, the sibling duo AKMU made their much-awaited comeback with the single “Love Lee” in August. Alongside their sweet vocals, the song features acoustic and rhythmic tones, and talks about the compromises people make in their daily lives for their unconditional love. Additionally, AKMU showcased their music prowess in 2023 through various platforms like their “AKMUTOPIA” solo concert in Seoul and on the late-night music talk show “The Seasons: Long Day, Long Night with AKMU”.
Jo Yuri
OST of the Year — Down (Juicy Juicy)
“Down (Juicy Juicy)” by Jo Yuri is the original soundtrack (OST) for the Korean drama “See You in My 19th Life”, which narrates the story of Ban Ji Eum as she reconnects with a lost love from her previous life. Jo Yuri, who originally debuted in the K-pop scene as a vocal in the girl group IZ*ONE, famously made her solo debut with her single album “GLASSY” and has since released her second album “LOVE ALL” in 2023. To date, she has participated in eight OSTs, half of which she sang in 2023. Having conquered singing, Jo Yuri is also set to make her acting debut in the second season of the hit show “Squid Game”.
Artists
KISS OF LIFE
Best New Female Group
The multi-talented new girl group KISS OF LIFE debuted with their self-titled first mini-album and the lead single “Shhh”. In their latest EP “Born to be XX”, the rookies continued to show their talents to the world with the hip-hop and rock lead track “Bad News”.
D.O.
Best Male Solo Artist — Somebody
Two years after completing his military service and releasing his first solo album “Empathy”, EXO’s D.O. returned as a solo artist with his EP “Expectations” and its folk-pop lead track “Somebody”.
Notably, D.O. left his long-time label SM Entertainment after 11 years to sign with his manager’s new company. Fans can still expect him to continue activities with EXO, though he has been more active as an actor as of late, having starred in the sci-fi film “The Moon”.
JEON SOMI
Best Female Solo Artist — Fast Forward; Artist of the Year
SOMI has come a long way since winning the first season of Mnet’s survival reality show “Produce 101”. After the conclusion of the project girl group I.O.I’s activities, she made a name for herself as a solo artist under The Black Label. In her second year of being a soloist, she came back with the EP “Game Plan” and the lead single “Fast Forward”, which became a domestic success. It peaked at number five on South Korea’s Circle Digital Chart. Internationally, SOMI is also met with enthusiasm as she won the 5th HallyuAwards’ Artist of the Year title with 304 out of 3407 votes, or 57.90 percent of votes in the Best Female Solo Artist category.
wave to earth
Best K-band
Making waves in the K-indie scene is the band called wave to earth, who grew in popularity overseas with their hit songs like “light” and “seasons”. Within the last year, they released their first full-length album “0.1. flaws and all.”, and have been expanding their reach with performances in countless festivals, such as the Philippines’ first ON Music Festival. Riding on their success thus far, the three-member group will also hold their sold-out concert in Manila in March 2024.
TWICE
Best Female Group
The veteran girl group TWICE shows no signs of slowing down in their eighth year together. 2023 had been their biggest year in streaming, as they became the first female girl group to reach three billion streams on Melon and the fastest K-pop girl group to reach seven billion streams on Spotify. In addition to starting 2023 with their English digital single “Moonlight Sunrise”, TWICE also released their mini album “Ready to Be” in March with the lead song “Set Me Free”. They also had a Japanese album with the title track “Hare Hare” in May, and another Japanese single entitled “Dance Again” in December. In between their comebacks and their world tour, some TWICE members also had unit and solo activities. The Japanese line debuted with their first mini album “Masterpiece” as a trio named MiSaMo, while Jihyo debuted as a solo artist with her EP “Zone”.
Drama & Entertainment
Moving
Best New Actor — Lee Jung Ha
The Disney+ action K-drama “Moving” (2023) follows Kim Bong Seok (Lee Jung Ha), Jang Hui Soo (Go Yoon Jung), and Lee Gang Hoon (Kim Do Hoon) as they navigate high school with hidden superpowers. Bong Seok, in particular, has enhanced senses and the ability to fly, which he inherited from his parents Lee Mi Hyun (Han Hyo Joo) and Kim Doo Sik (Zo In Sung).
Bong Seok is Lee Jung Ha’s breakout role after playing minor roles in dramas like Run On (2020) and Nevertheless (2021). He was considered the standout among the young cast, as proven by his acting award at the 2023 Busan International Film Festival.
Twinkling Watermelon
Best New Actress — Shin Eun Soo; Best Supporting Actor — Choi Hyun Wook
“Twinkling Watermelon” (2023) is a coming-of-age fantasy drama about a CODA (child of deaf adult) boy named Ha Eun Gyeol (Ryeoun) who travels back to 1995 and starts a band called Watermelon Sugar with the youth that he meets there. Love and music collide in this heartwarming story including characters like Yoon Cheong Ah (Shin Eun Soo), a hearing-impaired character who is cold to others, and Ha Yi Chan (Choi Hyun Wook), who has a crush on the Cello goddess of their high school.
The Glory
Best Supporting Actress — Lim Ji Yeon; Best Actress — Song Hye Kyo
Moon Dong Eun (Song Hye Kyo) is a vengeful protagonist in “The Glory”, a story inspired by a bullying scandal that occurred in South Korea in 2006. In the show, Dong Eun enacts an elaborate revenge on Park Yeon Jin (Lim Ji Yeon), a weather presenter who used to physically bully her in high school. The grisly scenes between the two are not for the faint-hearted– in one scene, Lim Ji Yeon reportedly slapped Song Hye Kyo so hard that she forgot her lines and the shooting had to be halted. Because of the intense plotline and their dedicated acting in “The Glory”, the two have each won a Baeksang, one of the prestigious awards in film, television, and theater in South Korea.
Dr. Romantic 3
Best Actor — Ahn Hyo Seop; Best K-drama Couple — Ahn Hyo Seop & Lee Sung Kyung; K-drama of the Year; Entertainer of the Year — Ahn Hyo Seop
“Dr. Romantic 3” (2023) picks up three years after the events of the second season. Alongside the protagonist Kim Sa Bu (Han Suk Kyu), Seo Woo Jin (Ahn Hyo Seop) and Cha Eun Jae (Lee Sung Kyung) return as Doldam Hospital deals with unprecedented incidents with the opening of the Regional Trauma Center. In the 5th HallyuAwards, Ahn Hyo Seop won Entertainer of the Year for his role in the drama, with 429 out of 2682 people or 63.72 percent of the votes in the Best Actor category banking on his performance. He also won Best K-drama Couple with co-star Lee Sung Kyung.
MBC Show Music Core
Best Music Show Host (Tandem) — Sullyoon, Jungwoo, & Lee Know
In April 2023, NMIXX’s Sullyoon joined NCT’s Jungwoo and Stray Kids’ Lee Know as a fixed MC in “Music Core”. With Sullyoon’s princess-like appearance and easygoing personality, Jungwoo’s comedic talent, and Lee Know’s friendly nature, the beloved trio has been praised by staff and netizens alike for their chemistry and visuals.
Street Woman Fighter 2
Best Reality Competition
Eight female dance crews battle it out on the competition franchise “Street Woman Fighter 2” for the position of Korea’s best female dance crew and the grand prize of 50 million won. In the end, the dance group Bebe bested Jam Republic, while 1Million Dance Studio and Mannequeen won third and fourth place, respectively. LadyBounce, Wolf’Lo, Deep N Dap, and Tsubakill also participated in the show.
Lee Young Ji
Best Entertainer
Aside from featuring in SEVENTEEN BSS’ hit song “Fighting”, Lee Young Ji has been busy with her appearances on various TV programs like “The Seasons” and “Earth Arcade”. Most famously, she hosts the web talk show “Nothing Much Prepared”, where she invites famous K-idols to chat and have a drink.
Tallying the votes from Facebook and Twitter, here is the full list of winners by categories:
Music & Performance
- Song of the Year — Queencard by (G)I-DLE (46.72%)
- Album of the Year — SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN by SEVENTEEN (56.11%)
- Debut of the Year — In Bloom by ZEROBASEONE (33.94%)
- Music Video of the Year — Super by SEVENTEEN (64.80%)
- Best Vocal Performance — Love Lee by AKMU (31.71%)
- Best Dance Performance — Super by SEVENTEEN (53.36%)
- Best Rap Performance — Monster by SEVENTEEN (57.23%)
- Best Collaboration — Fighting by BSS ft. Lee Young Ji (63.86%)
- OST of the Year — Down (Juicy Juicy) by Jo Yuri (30.31%)
Artists
- Best New Male Group — ZEROBASEONE (46.57%)
- Best New Female Group — Kiss of Life (61.06%)
- Best Male Solo Artist — D.O. (62.24%)
- Best Female Solo Artist — JEON SOMI (57.90%)
- Best K-band — wave to earth (47.16%)
- Best Male Group — SEVENTEEN (52.08%)
- Best Female Group — TWICE (39.11%)
Drama & Entertainment
- Best New Actor — Lee Jung Ha in Moving (46.38%)
- Best New Actress — Shin Eun Soo in Twinkling Watermelon (46.44%)
- Best Supporting Actor — Choi Hyun Wook in Twinkling Watermelon (52.23%)
- Best Supporting Actress — Lim Ji Yeon in The Glory (55.31%)
- Best Actor — Ahn Hyo Seop in Dr. Romantic 3 (63.72%)
- Best Actress — Song Hye Kyo in The Glory (47.45%)
- Best K-drama Couple — Dr. Romantic 3 (40.01%)
- K-drama of the Year — Dr. Romantic 3 (38.55%)
- Best Music Show Hosts — Sullyoon, Jungwoo, & Lee Know in MBC Show Music Core (36.54%)
- Best Reality/Variety Show — GOING SEVENTEEN (52.83%)
- Best Reality Competition — Street Woman Fighter 2 (69.66%)
- Best Entertainer — Lee Young Ji (50.02%)
Overall, the major award winners are as follows:
- Song of the Year — Queencard by (G)I-DLE
- Album of the Year — SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN by SEVENTEEN
- Artist of the Year — JEON SOMI
- Entertainer of the Year — Ahn Hyo Seop
Additionally, the five giveaway winners of the cash prize were announced on HallyUP’s Facebook page and are as follows:
- Mark Tangonan
- Krysha Lumio
- Elle Ticsay
- Kian Oriel
- Jessica Isip
2023 was another big year for Hallyu as K-dramas and reality shows went global and a new generation of idols took the stage.
Congratulations to all the aces who won in the 5th HallyuAwards, and to the voters who diligently supported their favorite artists! Stay tuned for HallyUP’s future events and projects.
Check out the official winner post on our Facebook and Twitter pages, and look out for the winning artists’ promotional videos on our Instagram.
Article written by Louisse Katherine Gappi
