Bevy of K-pop stars hoping for MTV VMAs success

Blackpink, Stray Kids, Tomorrow X Together, NewJeans, aepsa, Seventeen, Fifty Fifty and Jungkook of BTS — K-pop acts are set to make their mark at the upcoming 2023 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) with nominations and performances.

Girl group Blackpink during the U.S. leg of its world tour [YG ENTERTAINMENT]

Blackpink, Stray Kids, Tomorrow X Together, NewJeans, aepsa, Seventeen, Fifty Fifty and Jungkook of BTS — K-pop are acts set to make their mark at the upcoming 2023 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) with nominations and performances.

Girl group Blackpink was nominated for two additional categories, Group of the Year and Show of the Summer awards, giving the quartet six nominations in total.

Show of the Summer is a newly established award, where Blackpink will be competing with Beyonce, Drake, Ed Sheeran, Karol G and Taylor Swift.

Blackpink was nominated for four awards for their song "Pink Venom" (2022): Best Choreography, Best Art Direction, Best Editing and Best K-Pop.

Last year, Blackpink became the first K-pop girl group to perform at the VMAs with "Pink Venom."

Tomorrow X Together was also nominated for two more honors in addition to the PUSH Performance of the Year and the Best K-pop awards that were announced last month, and will also be competing for the Group of the Year and Song of the Summer awards.

Boy band Tomorrow X Together [BIGHIT MUSIC]

Girl group NewJeans [ADOR]

Girl group Fifty Fifty, currently in a legal battle with its agency Attrakt, has been nominated for three categories for its TikTok-made hit dance track "Cupid" — Group of the Year, Song of the Summer and Best K-pop.

Also competing in the Group of the Year section are bands Seventeen and NewJeans, while bands aespa, Seventeen and Stray Kids have been named as candidates for the Best K-pop award.

Jungkook of boy band BTS has been named on the list of Song of the Summer award potentials for his latest solo hit, "Seven," which recently hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The nomination has made Jungkook the only Korean soloist to be nominated for two consecutive years, following last year's nomination for his collaboration with Charlie Puth on "Left and Right."

A K-pop performance will also be held on the night.

Boy band Tomorrow X Together will be performing at the awards ceremony on Sept. 12 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. They will be performing alongside Doja Cat, Lil Wayne, Anitta, Kelsea Ballerini and more.

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]