BTS, IU win big at K-pop’s Golden Disc Awards, where Got7 perform potentially for the last time as a group

BTS member Suga joins the group on stage after time off to undergo surgery for a shoulder injury, while Twice perform their songs Cry For Me and More & More
News of Got7’s decision to not renew their contracts with JYP Entertainment broke right before the Sunday broadcast of GDA

K-pop, Mandopop and other Asian pop

Tamar Hermanin United States

Published: 6:45pm, 11 Jan 2021

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The Golden Disc Awards (GDA), one of South Korea’s biggest musical events, took place over Saturday and Sunday – and the weekend-long event didn’t disappoint. Boy band BTS and solo singer IU took home the biggest awards, winning for album and song of the year respectively, while boy band Got7 staged what could be their final performance.

Blackpink, Itzy, Mamamoo and band member Hwasa, Noel, Oh My Girl, Red Velvet, Zico, Exo and member Baekhyun, Got7, NCT, NCT 127, Seventeen, Twice and Tomorrow X Together (TXT) were also recognised for some of the year’s biggest releases, and new acts Enhypen, Treasure and Kim Ho-jong were named rookies of the year.

Changmo, Jessi, Lim Young-woong, Lee Seung-gi, Stray Kids, (G) I-dle, Jo Jung-suk, Monsta X, Loona, The Boyz and Nu’est were recognised in various other awards categories.

With returns, show-stopping performances and one potentially bittersweet farewell, here’s what you need to catch up on.

Got7’s last performance?

On Monday, JYP Entertainment announced that the members of Got7 had opted to not renew their contracts with the company and would be moving on.

On Monday, JYP Entertainment announced that the members of Got7 had opted to not renew their contracts with the company. Photo: Golden Disc Awards

The news broke right before the Sunday broadcast of GDA, when South Korean media outlet Dispatch reported that the GDA stage would host Got7’s final performance as a seven-piece act for now, as none of the band members had opted to renew with JYP.

Soon after, the members posted photos of the group together on social media and shared short posts, some of which contained just the hashtag “Got7Forever”.

Fittingly for the start of a new era, band members arrived on stage at GDA showing intense energy, bright smiles and their typical good humour to celebrate their career and victory in one of the album-of-the-year prizes.

IU charms ahead of new album

The long-time reigning pop princess of South Korea performed a live rendition of her two biggest songs of 2020 – the sentimental Love Poem and the uplifting Blueming, for which she won the daesang award for digital song of the year.

She’ll be releasing a new album early this year. The first song will drop on January 27.

BTS on fire – and Suga reappears

K-pop kings BTS produced multifaceted performances over the two nights, but it was during a Black Swan introduction on Sunday that Suga rose to the stage on a platform to rejoin his group members.

He had taken time off at the end of last year to undergo surgery for a shoulder injury, and the GDA performance heralds his return alongside the rest of BTS in live performances.

Stray Kids display skilful artistry

Last year saw Stray Kids up the ante when it came to their performance value, and their renditions at GDA on Sunday of God’s Menu and Back Door epitomised their improvement, right down to the theatricality of their outfits, inspired by traditional Korean attire, and the staging, which included a fan dance.

Twice leave us wanting more

The girl group surprised the world at the 2020 Mama awards with the debut of their new song Cry For Me, and then shared it as a single. But with no music video, the only way to see the members performing it is through their few live renditions of the song.

They offered a charismatic version at the GDA, which led into a performance of one of their other recent hit songs, More & More.