Billboard China, Billboard Korea, and Tencent Music Announce Winners of Cross-Market K-Artist Initiative

Tencent Music, alongside Billboard China and Billboard Korea, has unveiled the results of its inaugural cross-border fan voting campaign. This collaborative initiative honors the most impactful K-pop acts across four distinct categories.

The final victors were determined by aggregating fan participation from both the Chinese and Korean voting platforms. The winners are as follows:

Boy Group: SEVENTEEN – “THUNDER”
Girl Group: (G)I-DLE – “Fate” (나는 아픈 건 딱 질색이니까)
Male Solo: THE8 – “Cold Love”
Female Solo: NINGNING – “Ketchup And Lemonade”

This project merges expert editorial selection with direct fan engagement. Nominees were shortlisted based on their traction on the Tencent Music Korean Chart and recommendations from Billboard Korea’s editorial team. The resulting awards celebrate artists who have successfully balanced commercial chart dominance with passionate fan support.

While the Chinese and Korean markets showed a clear consensus in the solo categories, regional trends offered fascinating insights. In the Tencent Music/Billboard China channel, fans favored EXO’s “Crown” for best Boy Group and (G)I-DLE’s “Fate” for best Girl Group. Meanwhile, the Korean voting channel saw BTS’ “Body to Body” and BLACKPINK’s “JUMP” rise to the top of the group categories.

These combined results highlight both the shared appreciation for K-pop hits across international borders and the unique cultural nuances that shape fan preferences in each region. By uniting these platforms, Billboard China, Billboard Korea, and Tencent Music have created a dynamic framework that bridges global music markets, providing a deeper look at how today’s biggest hits resonate with diverse audiences worldwide.

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