Rookie K-pop group ILLIT has achieved an extraordinary milestone, winning the prestigious Best New Artist award at Japan’s most esteemed music awards, the 66th Japan Record Awards, even before their official debut in the country.
On November 21, Belief Lab announced that ILLIT (members Yuna, Minju, Mocha, Wonhee, and Iroha) was honored with the Best New Artist award. The group expressed their gratitude, stating, “Winning a New Artist award was one of our dreams this year, and we’re incredibly happy to see it come true. We will continue to grow as ILLIT and deliver fresh music and performances.”
The Japan Record Awards, organized by the Japan Composer’s Association, have been held since 1959 and are regarded as one of the country’s most prestigious music events. ILLIT’s achievement marks the first time in 13 years that a K-pop girl group has received the award, following SNSD (Girls’ Generation) and 2NE1. Remarkably, ILLIT is the first group to win the award without an official Japanese debut—a groundbreaking accomplishment.
ILLIT has garnered significant popularity in Japan with their Korean releases. Their debut mini-album, SUPER REAL ME, released in March, saw its title track “Magnetic” surpass 100 million streams on Oricon and the Japan Record Association charts, making it the fastest song by a female group to achieve this milestone. The track also ranked fifth on TikTok’s “Summer Songs of 2024” in Japan, further establishing their appeal among younger audiences.
ILLIT’s influence extends to multiple accolades, including being named the No. 1 rookie artist in Tower Records’ 2024 First-Half Streaming Rankings and topping the 2024 Shibuya109 Lab Trend Awards for artists.
As a testament to their rising fame, ILLIT will also appear on NHK’s iconic year-end music program, Kōhaku Uta Gassen. This event is a hallmark of Japanese pop culture, featuring the year’s most popular artists and boasting unmatched viewership and impact.
ILLIT’s unprecedented success before even debuting in Japan highlights their rapid ascent as global music icons and their potential to dominate both the Korean and Japanese music markets.
Source: newsen.com
