35th Seoul Music Awards set for June 20 at Inspire Arena with 20 performers and 3 new award categories

The 35th Seoul Music Awards happens June 20 at Inspire Arena in Yeongjong-do, Incheon. Red carpet starts at 4 PM, main ceremony at 6 PM. Hello Live streams both globally.

Sports Seoul and the Seoul Music Awards Organizing Committee are running the show, which marks 35 years since the first ceremony in 1990. Three new categories arrive this year: Golden Revival honors artists with chart comebacks or sustained chart dominance. New Icon goes to artists working across multiple fields beyond music. SMA Best Artist awards exactly one act from the performing lineup, chosen entirely by fan vote throughout the ceremony.

The single-Daesang rule holds. One team or one person takes the Grand Prize—always has been that way. Past winners include Byun Jin-sub, Seo Taiji and Boys, EXO (2013–2016), and BTS (2017–2020). (G)I-DLE won last year.

Twenty acts perform: Kwon Eun-bi, Da-young, ATEEZ, Lee Chan-won, Han Roro, LE SSERAFIM, Ssaycus, BOYNEXTDOOR, ZEROBASEONE, Dragon Pony, Say My Name, Izna, Kiki, Hats to Hats, Close Your Eyes, Ahop, Identity, Aidit, Alphadrive One, and Modisay. The lineup spans dance, trot, and band.

Super Junior's Lee Teuk, ZEROBASEONE's Park Gun-wook, and Kiki's Lee Sol host. Presenters include actors Shim Eun-kyung, Kwon Na-ra, Park Ji-hwan, Ryu Kyung-soo, Song Joong-ki, Lee You-bi, Arin, Ha Yun-kyung, Kim Do-hoon, Jo Yu-ri, Kim Jae-won, Ko Yoon-jung, and Heo Nam-joon.

Last year's ceremony featured a cross-generational collaboration stage with inaugural Grand Prize winner Byun Jin-sub alongside BTOB's Seo Eun-kwang, (G)I-DLE's Minnie, and Kickflip's Dong-hyun.