Music awards shows are places where the demands of performance, practice, and public appearances are higher than ever. As the competitive nature of the K-pop industry pushes artists to constantly excel and maintain a perfect image… many artists are suffering physical and mental damage from the grueling schedule.
This raises serious concerns about the long-term health and sustainability of the idols' careers.
According to the Korea Music Content Association (KOMCA), this year, Korea has more than 20 major music awards ceremonies organized by content companies, music streaming platforms, and media outlets.
In contrast, the US - the world's largest music market - only hosts three major awards ceremonies: the Grammy Awards, the Billboard Music Awards and the American Music Awards. In comparison, the number of Kpop award shows is too many.
And the number of K-pop award ceremonies continues to grow. In the past five years alone, more than five new award ceremonies have been launched, and three to four more will be launched this year.
Local entertainment companies are under great pressure to let artists participate, especially in events organized by media companies.
“We feel pressured, but media outlets have used their influence to ensure that artists will be present at their events. That is why, earlier this year, KOMCA issued a statement proposing to sign contracts to attend award ceremonies,” said an official from one of the top three K-pop agencies.
With the growing demand for K-pop performances, award shows have adopted a “mixed” concert format. Instead of just handing out awards, many events also sell tickets and force K-pop stars to perform.
Another official highlighted the stress that comes from artists’ meticulous preparation for award shows: “K-pop artists have to spend days, sometimes even weeks, preparing behind the scenes for just a few minutes of performance. The fact that artists and creators are forced to invest a lot of time and resources into preparing for these shows takes away from their main focus – which is creating their own original content.”
Pop culture critic Jung Deok Hyun echoed these concerns, noting that while the awards shows themselves are not problematic, the pressure to attend can have negative consequences for artists.
“The main issue is to ensure that the artist’s free will is respected. If an artist is invited to a prestigious event like the Grammys, they will naturally want to attend. But without that level of recognition, participation comes with a physical and time cost.
With consecutive award ceremonies, the physical burden on artists increases and when schedules overlap, the risk of accidents and health problems also increases," the critic commented.
In response to concerns, KOMCA established the Music Awards Improvement Council in May this year, as part of a broader initiative to establish guidelines for K-pop awards ceremonies. It also developed standard contracts for artist participation, promoting self-regulation in the industry.
