Legendary artists representing various genres will gather at the "Hanteo Music Awards 2023" ceremony.

The organizer, Hanteo Global (CEO Kwak Young-ho), announced on the 2nd the first lineup for the "31st Anniversary Hanteo Music Awards 2023 (hereinafter 'Hanteo Music Awards')," which includes performers such as Lee Chan-won, Daybreak, LUCY, Park Jae-jung, VIVIZ, and PLAVE, as well as presenters including Cho Hang-jo, Kim Jong-seo, Danny Ahn, Han Seung-yeon, and Lee Won-seok.

Lee Chan-won, who was the first to be named in the initial lineup, is a trot superstar who is highly active not only as a singer but also as an MC and variety show personality. In particular, his first full-length album "ONE," released last year, surpassed 500,000 copies in Hanteo Chart initial sales, proving his popularity and influence.

Daybreak and LUCY are currently leading sing-along stars in the South Korean band scene. Daybreak, which has produced hit songs such as "Love Actually," "Good," and "Flower Road," is always accompanied by the modifier "National Band." LUCY has also solidified its position as a trending band by selling out every solo concert, and recently continues its journey as a global band by participating in overseas solo performances and festivals.

Park Jae-jung, a winner of "Superstar K" Season 5, is a ballad singer who has secured a thick fan base through steady album activities and performances. The title track "Let's Say Goodbye" from his first full-length album "Alone," released last year, reached number one on various music charts and received much love. VIVIZ, consisting of Eunha, SinB, and Umji, also gained great popularity with the title track "MANIAC" from their 4th mini-album "VERSUS," released last year.
PLAVE is considered the most unique group in this first lineup. The 5-member boy group PLAVE, consisting of Yejun, Noah, Bambi, Eunho, and Hamin, is a virtual group where all members are virtual. Attention is focused on what kind of stage they will show.

This year's "Hanteo Music Awards" is spectacular not only for its performers but also for its presenters. First, Kim Jong-seo is a recognized legend of the Korean rock scene. After going through major bands essential to the Korean rock lineage such as Sinawe, Boohwal, Little Sky, and Charisma, he produced many hit songs such as "Reply-less You," "Don't Know Now," and "Starry Night" even after turning solo. The meeting between Kim Jong-seo, a big name and legend representing the Korean rock scene, and the next-generation artists representing current K-pop is expected to be a major topic.

Cho Hang-jo is also a legendary singer who has left a mark on the South Korean music industry. Cho Hang-jo, who was active as an underground singer on stages such as the US 8th Army during his college days, was active as a lead vocalist for bands like Seogi 1999 and Korea Fantasy, and debuted as a solo singer in 1997. It is eye-catching what kind of connection will be born between Cho Hang-jo, who has been active for over 40 years, and K-pop artists.

In addition, Lee Won-seok, who was also named as a performer as part of Daybreak, will also take the stage as a presenter, and Jung In, a possessor of a unique tone, has also been added to the list of presenters.

The most eye-catching names on the presenter list are Danny Ahn and Han Seung-yeon. Having been active as members of god and KARA respectively, marking the end of the first generation of idols, they are scheduled to appear as presenters to create meaningful scenes for their juniors who will lead the future of K-pop.

In this way, the "Hanteo Music Awards" has completed a differentiated awards ceremony from the first lineup by confirming the appearance of diverse artists representing each genre such as trot, rock, pop, and ballad as performers and presenters. Accordingly, many fans' attention is focused on the 2nd and 3rd lineups to be announced in the future.

Meanwhile, the "Hanteo Music Awards" will be held for two days on the 17th and 18th at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul and will be broadcast live through SBS M.

[Photo = Provided by TN Entertainment, Mystic Story, Romantic Factory, Big Planet Made Entertainment, VLAST, WinOne Entertainment, Woori Entertainment, IOK Company, YG Entertainment]

These are English translations of articles from our GTTOUR Japanese website.