Hey K-pop and K-Drama fans! We finally know who’s attending the Asia Artist Awards (AAA) this December 14!
In a collaboration between StarNews, TONZ Entertainment and PULP Live World, the AAA will be held in the Philippines for the first time ever. With its goal to honor the contributions of South Korean artists to the Asian entertainment industry, the event is bringing renowned actors, musical soloists and groups to the Philippine Arena.
The hosts will be Jang Wonyoung from IVE, Kang Daniel, and Sung Hanbin from Zerobaseone, giving us a taste of just how stacked this roster of stars will be. For the complete list, here’s our SEA Wave guide on the artists and actors coming to the AAA.
Music Groups
&TEAM
A Japanese-Korean boy band with nine members who debuted their mini album First Howling: ME last December 2022. The group also released their second EP last June 14 entitled, First Howling: WE.
AKMU
Also known as Akdong Musician, this sibling duo debuted in 2014 after winning SBS’ K-pop Star 2 and releasing the album Play. They are currently hosts of the late-night music talk show The Seasons: Long Day, Long Night with AKMU.
At The Beginning of Originality (ATBO)
This boy group has seven members who debuted in 2022 from a reality show called The Origin – A, B, Or What? They’ll be performing this October 4 at the Promised Play Festival, an initiative featuring traffic safety and environmental concern for children.
BoyNextDoor (BND)
BND debuted this May with the WHO! album. Their music mainly focuses on the daily lives of their peers and is often described as easy and natural to listen to. Their most recent EP Why.. was released just this September, peaking at number 3 in the Oricon Japanese Album chart and at the Billboard US World Albums chart.
Dreamcatcher
Known as “The Face of Rock” in K-pop, this girl group debuted in 2014 and continued carving their mark in the industry with rock and roll tunes. The group recently released their 8th mini album called Apocalypse: From Us.
HORI7ON
This group is a South Korea-based Filipino boy band with seven members formed through ABS-CBN’s reality show Dream Maker. The band released their first album Friend-Ship this July with a whopping 21 tracks.
ITZY
ITZY is known for their self-expressive lyrics, powerful vocals, and fierce dance moves. The group debuted in 2019 with the first wave of groups recognized as the 4th generation of K-pop. This 2023, they released a new EP called Kill My Doubt which peaked at number 2 in the Billboard US World Albums chart and number 1 in the Circle South Korean Albums chart.
KARD
KARD is a famous South Korean co-ed group consisting of two males (BM and J) and two females (Somin and Jiwoo). Known as one of the most successful mixed gender K-pop groups in history, the group debuted in 2017 with the mini album Hola Hola and most recently released their album ICKY.
Kep1er
This girl group formed through a reality TV show Girls Planet 999 in 2021. Despite a rocky start due to their debut performance being canceled with the pandemic, Kep1er quickly found its footing releasing 5 EPs since. The group’s most recent EP Magic Hour was released this September.
KINGDOM
A boy group unique for its theme of each member representing different kings in history, KINGDOM’s music reflects their journey to ascension to the “throne” of their respective domains. The group debuted in 2021 with their EP History of Kingdom: Part I. Arthur and most recently released History of Kingdom: Part VI. Mujin.
Lapillus
This multinational girl group based in South Korea debuted last June 2022 with the album Hit Ya! Lapillus is named after a gemstone, showing how each member shines and brings their own individual qualities to the group. The group will also be performing at the Dream Rookie Concert 2023 this coming September 30 alongside other groups on this list.
Le Sserafim
The first girl group signing under BTS’ label Hybe, Le Sserafim is a five-member group that debuted last 2022 with a mini album Fearless. Much like ITZY, this group prides itself on creating tunes that express self-confidence and being fearless. They also recently released their first full album Unforgiven with 13 tracks.
LUN8
The second boy group signed under Fantagio after ASTRO, LUN8, debuted last June 2023, with the mini album Continue? which reached number 5 on the Circle South Korean Album charts.
NewJeans
A South Korean girl group known for the overall girl-next-door and refreshing looks and music, NewJeans debuted last year with the single, Attention. Their newest EP Get Up was released this July 2023 and sold 1.2 million copies upon the release date.
NMIXX
A girl group known for their trademark genre “mixx pop” by blending two genres into one song, NMIXX rose to popularity after their debut last 2022 with the single Ad Mare. The group will have their first fan concert entitled NMIXX CHANGE UP: MIXX UNIVERSITY this year on October 4 and 6 at Seoul’s Janchung Arena.
ONEUS
Given the title, the “Concept Kings” of the of K-Pop, this five-member boy group debuted in 2019 with the EP Light Us. The group’s distinct sound comes from the fusion of traditional Korean music and K-pop. The group recently released their 10th mini album entitled La Dolce Vita this September, along with a music video for their title track Baila Conmigo.
SB19
Formed in 2016 on ShowBT Philippines, this Filipino boy group officially debuted in 2018. The group’s debut single was Tilaluha. They recently released Pagtatag under their own record label, 1Z Entertainment, as they hope to exercise more creative freedom over their material.
SEVENTEEN BSS
The first sub-unit boy group from Seventeen, BSS debuted on March 21, 2018 with the single Just Do It. The group released their first single album Second Wind last February 2023 with three tracks featuring Lee Young Ji and Pedro Elias.
STAYC
StayC is a Japanese-Korean girl group with six members that debuted in 2020, with their album Star to a Young Culture. The group will be having their 1st World Tour TEENFRESH which kicked off in Seoul this September 2023 and will end in Singapore next year.
Stray Kids
This boy group with eight members is best known for their experimental and subversive tunes. They debuted in 2017 through a reality show of the same name and competed with The Boyz in Kingdom: Legendary War, a reality competition between K-pop boy groups held in 2021. The group recently released their first Japanese-language EP Social Path / Super Bowl.
TEMPEST
Winner of the Male Rookie Award at the 2022 Brand of the Year awards, the seven-member group sold 75,000 copies of their album a week into their debut in 2022. The group released their first single album Into the Tempest this September 2023.
THE BOYZ
This eleven-member boy group debuted in 2017 with the EP The First. They received a larger following when they participated in Kingdom: Legendary War with Stray Kids and other boy groups. The group recently concluded their Zeneration world tour last August.
Zerobaseone
Last but not the least, Zerobaseone is a nine-member boy group that debuted last July 2023 with the EP Shade of Youth. The group became the only K-pop band to sell 1 million copies of their debut album in a single day.
Solo Artists
Ash Island
Yoon Jin-young, better known by his stage name Ash Island, was a contestant on High School Rapper 2, a survival TV show about hip hop that aired in 2018, where he placed 4th. In 2022, he earned New Artist of The Year at the Korean Hip Hop Awards and this year he’s back with a new album entitled ROSE.
Dindin
Lim Cheol or Dindin is known for taking inspiration from a wide variety of genres like ballads, hip-hop, and rap, to name a few. He’s also a rapper, producer, television and radio personality. He recently released a single entitled Foolin Myself accompanied by a music video.
Kim Jae Joong
This singer, songwriter, and actor is an original member of the South Korean boy group TVXQ. Kim Jae Joon debuted with TVXQ in 2003 and as a solo artist in 2013. In May of this year, he created his own agency iNKODE, in which he serves as the Chief Strategy Officer.
Kwon Eun-bi
Eunbi was a participant on the K-pop group search survival show Produce 48, finishing in 7th place. She then debuted as the member and leader of the show’s girl group, Iz*One. With the disbandment of Iz*One in 2021, Eun-bi has since debuted as a soloist with her first mini-album Open released this August.
Lee Youngji
Winner of High School Rapper 3 and Show Me the Money 11, Lee Youngji debuted in 2019 with the single Dark Room. She hosted her own YouTube variety show called No Prepare and has recently kicked off her first Asia tour entitled The Main Character this September.
Yao Chen
Ivan Yao or Yao Chen is a Chinese singer known for participating in the Produce Camp 2019 survival show and debuting with the show’s boy group R1SE. He trained with Stray Kids under JYP and made a solo debut in 2021 with the EP No Need To Answer. He recently released the music video to his latest single, Problem.
Actors and Actresses
Ahn Dong Goo
This actor and model is known for his roles in dramas such as Our Beloved Summer (2021), The Law Cafe (2022), and See You in My 19th Life (2023).
Ahn Hyo Seop
Based in South Korea, this 28-year-old Canadian actor and singer is known for his roles in A Time Called You (2023), Business Proposal (2022), and Dr. Romantic 2 (2020) & 3 (2023). He’ll be in Manila this October for his fan meet-up.
Cha Joo Young
This actress is known for her roles in Cheese in the Trap (2016), The Glory (2022), and The Real Has Come! (2023). She was nominated for the Blue Dragon Series Best New Actress Award in 2023 for her role in revenge thriller The Glory (2022).
Jung Sung Il
This actor is known for his roles in Bad and Crazy (2021) and When Flowers Bloom, I Think of the Moon (2021). He also joins Cha Joo Young as a cast member in The Glory (2022).
Kim Junmyeon
Also known as Suho, this singer-actor is the leader of EXO and its subunit, EXO-K. He’s also known for roles in Behind Your Touch (2023), How R You Bread (202), and Rich Man (2018).
Kim Seon Ho
Known for his breakout role in Start-Up (2020), Kim Seon Ho began his career in stage plays in 2009.
With his most recent successes, he is now mostly known for his roles in Good Manager (2017), Hometown Cha-Cha (2021), and The Childe (2023).
Kim Sejeong
This singer and actress is known for being in girl groups I.O.I. and Gugudan. As an actress, she’s known for her roles in Business Proposal (2021), School 2017 (2017), and Uncanny Counter 1 (2020) & 2 (2023). She is also set to have a concert later this year in Manila.
Kim Young Dae
Getting various Best New Actor nominations in 2019 to 2021, this young actor is known for his roles in Extraordinary You (2019), The Forbidden Marriage (2023), and The Penthouse: War in Life (2021).
Lee Donghwi
Known for being a part of the celebrity group of friends known as BYH48, Lee Donghwi is also a member of supergroup MSG Wannabe and his acting roles in Reply 1988 (2015) and Extreme Jobs (2019), South Korea’s 2nd highest grossing film in history.
Lee Eunsaem
This young actress is known for her roles in All of Us Are Dead (2022), Midnight Runners (2017), and The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil (2019), most recently geting nominated in the Director’s Cut Awards 2023 for the Best New Actress in Television category.
Lee Joon Hyuk
Making his acting debut with a short role in a music video, Lee Joon-hyuk has since starred in Dark Hole (2021), Stranger (2020), and The Roundup: No Way Out (2023), earning awards and nominations for his various performances.
Lee Jun Ho
Junho made his debut with boy group 2PM in 2008 and has since expanded his repertoire to include acting. As an actor, he debuted in Cold Eyes (2013) and has since continued the acting path with roles in Good Manager (2017), Wok of Love (2018) and The Red Sleeve (2021).
Lee Jun Young
Another former member of a boy group, Jun is a singer and rapper known for being a member of U-KISS and UNB. As an actor, he’s starred in dramas like Imitation (2021), Let Me Be Your Knight (2022) and Masked Girl (2023).
Moon Ga Young
A German-born South Korean actress, Moon Ga Young is known for her roles in Welcome to Waikiki 2 (2019), True Beauty (2020), and Link: Eat, Love, Kill (2022),
Moon Sang Min
This young actor began his career in web series such as 4 Reasons Why I Hate Christmas (2019), The Colors of Our Time (2020) and My Name (2021). He most recently gained recognition for his role as Grand Prince Seongnam in Under the Queen’s Umbrella (2022).
Park Jae Chan
Mononymously as Jaechan, this singer and actor is a member of the boy group DKZ. He made his acting debut in the streaming series Semantic Error: The Movie based on a web novel of the same name.
Yoo Seon Ho
Last on the list is Yoo Seon Ho, a singer and model who previously for his part in the reality survival show Produce 101, his recurring role in the variety show 2 Days & 1 Night (2007), and Under the Queen’s Umbrella (2022).
There you have it! The list of confirmed attendees for the Asia Artist Awards 2023. A total of 44 participants so far, and we’re excited to see them this December.
Are you looking forward to seeing your faves in person? Comment your thoughts below.
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