K-pop Awards and Milestones

A preview of every question in this General K-pop quiz. Try it first. Answers and explanations are at the bottom of the page (spoilers). General K-pop · Medium · 10 questions. 10 multiple-choice questions.

1. 1. Which K-pop act received the first Grammy nomination for a K-pop act in 2021?

   • BLACKPINK
   • BTS
   • EXO
   • BIGBANG

   Fun fact: BTS received their first Grammy nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for Dynamite at the 63rd Grammy Awards in 2021, making history as the first K-pop act to be nominated.

2. 2. The Melon Music Awards (MMA) Daesang (Grand Prize) for Artist of the Year is considered one of K-pop's highest honors. Which group won it in 2022?

   • BTS
   • IVE
   • NewJeans
   • aespa

   Fun fact: IVE won the Artist of the Year Daesang at the 2022 Melon Music Awards, just about one year after their debut, in a historic win for a relatively new group.

3. 3. At what major US awards show did BTS become the first K-pop group to win Top Social Artist consecutively for multiple years?

   • Grammy Awards
   • MTV VMAs
   • Billboard Music Awards
   • American Music Awards

   Fun fact: BTS won Top Social Artist at the Billboard Music Awards from 2017 to 2022, six consecutive years, making it their signature award before the category was eventually retired.

4. 4. Which K-pop group won the Artist of the Year award at the American Music Awards (AMAs) in 2021?

   • BLACKPINK
   • EXO
   • BTS
   • TWICE

   Fun fact: BTS won Artist of the Year at the 2021 American Music Awards, the most prestigious award at the show, becoming the first Asian act to win the category.

5. 5. EXO became the first artist to achieve what sales milestone in K-pop?

   • First to sell 500,000 albums in Japan
   • First to have five consecutive million-selling albums
   • First to win 20 music show trophies in a year
   • First to chart on the US Billboard 200

   Fun fact: EXO became the first artist to have five consecutive million-selling albums in South Korea, from XOXO (2013) through Don't Mess Up My Tempo (2018).

6. 6. Which K-pop girl group won the MAMA Artist of the Year in 2022, their debut year performance?

   • NewJeans
   • IVE
   • LE SSERAFIM
   • aespa

   Fun fact: IVE won Artist of the Year at the 2022 MAMA Awards, just one year after their debut, showcasing their meteoric rise in K-pop.

7. 7. The three major end-of-year K-pop award shows are called MMA, MAMA, and which third one?

   • Gaon Music Awards
   • Seoul Music Awards
   • Golden Disc Awards
   • Melon Awards

   Fun fact: The three major year-end K-pop awards shows are the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA), the Melon Music Awards (MMA), and the Golden Disc Awards (GDA). Seoul Music Awards is also significant.

8. 8. BLACKPINK's Lisa became a solo chart-topper globally. Her 2021 solo LALISA set a record by becoming what?

   • First K-pop solo song to hit #1 in US iTunes
   • Most-viewed YouTube music video by a K-pop solo artist in 24 hours
   • First solo debut to sell 1 million copies
   • First solo song on the Billboard Hot 100

   Fun fact: LALISA's music video set the record for the most-viewed YouTube video within 24 hours for a K-pop solo artist when it was released in September 2021, with over 73.6 million views.

9. 9. BLACKPINK was the first K-pop group/act to reach how many YouTube subscribers, setting a Guinness record?

   • 10 million
   • 20 million
   • 50 million
   • 100 million

   Fun fact: BLACKPINK became the first K-pop act and first music group to reach 50 million YouTube subscribers, achieving this milestone in 2019.

10. 10. BTS set a record at the 2020 MAMA Awards. What did they win?

    • Their first Grammy nomination
    • Most wins in a single MAMA ceremony
    • First K-pop act to perform at MAMA in the US
    • First group to win MAMA Artist of the Year 5 times

    Fun fact: BTS won the MAMA Artist of the Year award for the fifth consecutive time in 2020, setting a record for the most consecutive wins in the category.

Spoilers: the right answer to each question of this General K-pop quiz, with its explanation and source when we have one.

1. 1. Which K-pop act received the first Grammy nomination for a K-pop act in 2021?

   Answer: BTS

   Fun fact: BTS received their first Grammy nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for Dynamite at the 63rd Grammy Awards in 2021, making history as the first K-pop act to be nominated.

2. 2. The Melon Music Awards (MMA) Daesang (Grand Prize) for Artist of the Year is considered one of K-pop's highest honors. Which group won it in 2022?

   Answer: IVE

   Fun fact: IVE won the Artist of the Year Daesang at the 2022 Melon Music Awards, just about one year after their debut, in a historic win for a relatively new group.

3. 3. At what major US awards show did BTS become the first K-pop group to win Top Social Artist consecutively for multiple years?

   Answer: Billboard Music Awards

   Fun fact: BTS won Top Social Artist at the Billboard Music Awards from 2017 to 2022, six consecutive years, making it their signature award before the category was eventually retired.

4. 4. Which K-pop group won the Artist of the Year award at the American Music Awards (AMAs) in 2021?

   Answer: BTS

   Fun fact: BTS won Artist of the Year at the 2021 American Music Awards, the most prestigious award at the show, becoming the first Asian act to win the category.

5. 5. EXO became the first artist to achieve what sales milestone in K-pop?

   Answer: First to have five consecutive million-selling albums

   Fun fact: EXO became the first artist to have five consecutive million-selling albums in South Korea, from XOXO (2013) through Don't Mess Up My Tempo (2018).

6. 6. Which K-pop girl group won the MAMA Artist of the Year in 2022, their debut year performance?

   Answer: IVE

   Fun fact: IVE won Artist of the Year at the 2022 MAMA Awards, just one year after their debut, showcasing their meteoric rise in K-pop.

7. 7. The three major end-of-year K-pop award shows are called MMA, MAMA, and which third one?

   Answer: Golden Disc Awards

   Fun fact: The three major year-end K-pop awards shows are the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA), the Melon Music Awards (MMA), and the Golden Disc Awards (GDA). Seoul Music Awards is also significant.

8. 8. BLACKPINK's Lisa became a solo chart-topper globally. Her 2021 solo LALISA set a record by becoming what?

   Answer: Most-viewed YouTube music video by a K-pop solo artist in 24 hours

   Fun fact: LALISA's music video set the record for the most-viewed YouTube video within 24 hours for a K-pop solo artist when it was released in September 2021, with over 73.6 million views.

9. 9. BLACKPINK was the first K-pop group/act to reach how many YouTube subscribers, setting a Guinness record?

   Answer: 50 million

   Fun fact: BLACKPINK became the first K-pop act and first music group to reach 50 million YouTube subscribers, achieving this milestone in 2019.

10. 10. BTS set a record at the 2020 MAMA Awards. What did they win?

    Answer: First group to win MAMA Artist of the Year 5 times

    Fun fact: BTS won the MAMA Artist of the Year award for the fifth consecutive time in 2020, setting a record for the most consecutive wins in the category.