NewJeans publicly thanks former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin during acceptance speech

Girl group NewJeans publicly thanked former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin while giving an acceptance speech at this year's The Fact Music Awards (TMA) held in Osaka, Japan, on Sunday. At the awards ceremony, the girl group won four awards.

NewJeans at The Fact Music Awards on Sunday. [THE FACT]

Girl group NewJeans publicly thanked former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin while giving an acceptance speech at this year's The Fact Music Awards (TMA) held in Osaka, Japan, on Sunday. At the awards ceremony, the girl group won four awards.

"We truly love and thank CEO Min Hee-jin, who always cherishes and protects us," said NewJeans member Danielle as she received the Musinsa Popularity Award.

Danielle addressed Min as CEO, despite Min being replaced by current CEO of ADOR Kim Ju-young on Aug. 27.

"I want to say it because it might be the last chance. We are really, really grateful to our CEO. We love you so much, CEO,” fellow member Hyein also said as she received another award.

This marks the first time NewJeans publicly showed their support for Min. The members have previously expressed their frustration over the ongoing dispute between Min and HYBE on Phoning, a mobile app tailored for NewJeans.

The group also extended its appreciation to the fans, saying, “This was all possible because of many people who support and seek out our music. With this gratitude, we will always strive to give our best on every stage.”

The girl group took home four awards on Sunday: Artist of the Year, Musinsa Popularity Award, World Best Performer and Worldwide Icon. This made them one of the most awarded artists at this year's awards ceremony, tying with trot singer Lim Young-woong.

The 2024 TMA, hosted by Korean media outlet The Fact and organized by Feelingvive, took place on Saturday and Sunday at the Kyocera Dome. The ceremony was held overseas for the first time to mark the 10th anniversary of the media outlet’s establishment.

The event featured special performances by numerous K-pop artists, including Kiss of Life, aespa and ITZY.

K-pop artists at ″2024 The Fact Music Awards″ on Sunday.″ [THE FACT]

Artists at performing at ″2024 The Fact Music Awards″ on Sunday.″ [THE FACT]

NewJeans’ members performed their hit songs, including “ETA,” “OMG” and “Attention,” and the group also showcased the Japanese version of “Bubble Gum” for their local fans.

Girl group aespa won the grand prize, becoming the first female artist to receive this honor at the awards.

Established in 2019, the music awards ceremony determines its winners through a combination of objective data from music performances, judges' decisions and fan participation scores.

To find out more about Newjeans, visit Celeb Confirmed!

BY WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]