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Rookie Award

An award for recently debuted singers and groups, given at Korean music award shows.

Category: Awards

Also known as: Best New Artist

Last updated

Meaning

Rookie awards honor newly debuted acts, and every ceremony names and counts them differently. The 2025 MAMA AWARDS had one Best New Artist category open to male and female acts alike, and both CORTIS and Hearts2Hearts won it; in 2024 there were separate male and female categories, won by TWS and ILLIT. The Golden Disc Awards do not separate digital and album rookies; at the 40th edition ALLDAY PROJECT and CORTIS won. The 35th Seoul Music Awards gave the award to four acts, and the organizing newspaper called it "a name a singer can receive only once in a lifetime."

Achievements

29 recordsMost recent ceremony first, then by category

Checked

Coverage 2023-09-01 – 2026-09-25

Updates paused
35th Seoul Music AwardsAHOFRookie of the Yearwww.sportsseoul.com
35th Seoul Music AwardsALPHA DRIVE ONERookie of the Yearwww.sportsseoul.com
35th Seoul Music AwardsCLOSE YOUR EYESRookie of the Yearwww.sportsseoul.com
35th Seoul Music AwardsIDIDRookie of the Yearwww.sportsseoul.com
40th Golden Disc AwardsALLDAY PROJECTRookie Artist of the Yearevent-api.hll.kr
40th Golden Disc AwardsCORTISRookie Artist of the Yearevent-api.hll.kr
MMA2025 (17th)ALLDAY PROJECTNew Artist of the Yearwww.xportsnews.com
MMA2025 (17th)Hearts2HeartsNew Artist of the Yearwww.xportsnews.com
2025 MAMA AWARDSCORTISBEST NEW ARTISTwww.cjenm.com
2025 MAMA AWARDSHearts2HeartsBEST NEW ARTISTwww.cjenm.com
34th Seoul Music AwardsHearts2HeartsRookie of the Yearwww.sportsseoul.com
34th Seoul Music AwardsKickFlipRookie of the Yearwww.sportsseoul.com
34th Seoul Music AwardsKiiiKiiiRookie of the Yearwww.sportsseoul.com
39th Golden Disc AwardsBABYMONSTERRookie Artist of the Yearevent-api.hll.kr
39th Golden Disc AwardsNCT WISHRookie Artist of the Yearevent-api.hll.kr
39th Golden Disc AwardsILLITRookie Artist of the Yearevent-api.hll.kr
39th Golden Disc AwardsTWSRookie Artist of the Yearevent-api.hll.kr
MMA2024 (16th)ILLITNew Artist of the Yearwww.xportsnews.com
MMA2024 (16th)TWSNew Artist of the Yearwww.xportsnews.com
2024 MAMA AWARDSILLITBEST NEW FEMALE GROUPwww.cjenm.com
2024 MAMA AWARDSTWSBEST NEW MALE ARTISTwww.cjenm.com
38th Golden Disc AwardsFIFTY FIFTYRookie Artist of the Yearevent-api.hll.kr
38th Golden Disc AwardsZEROBASEONERookie Artist of the Yearevent-api.hll.kr
33th Seoul Music AwardsRIIZERookie Awardwww.sportsseoul.com
33th Seoul Music AwardsZEROBASEONERookie Awardwww.sportsseoul.com
MMA2023 (15th)RIIZERookie of the Yearwww.xportsnews.com
MMA2023 (15th)ZEROBASEONERookie of the Yearwww.xportsnews.com
2023 MAMA AWARDStripleSBest New Female Artistwww.cjenm.com
2023 MAMA AWARDSZEROBASEONEBest New Male Artistwww.cjenm.com

Usage

Used to sum up a strong start: "they swept five rookie awards." Name the ceremony when you count them.

Examples

  • CORTIS — Won Best New Artist at the 2025 MAMA AWARDS and the Rookie Award at the 40th Golden Disc Awards.
  • Hearts2Hearts — Won Best New Artist at the 2025 MAMA AWARDS.

In context

Related pagesArtists Find a termBack to glossary

Sources