Korean Music Awards ke-18 telah mengumumkan nominasi mereka untuk tahun 2021. Berikut ini daftar nominasi untuk setiap kategorinya:
Album of the Year
- BTS – “Map of the Soul: 7”
- Baek Yerin – “Every letter I sent you.”
- Sunwoo JungA – “Serenade”
- LEENALCHI – “SUGUNGGA”
- Jeongmilla – “CheongPa Sonata”
- Jo Dongik – “Blue Pillow”
Song of the Year
- BTS – “Dynamite”
- Baek Yerin – “Square (2017)”
- Sunwoo JungA – “Run With Me”
- LEENALCHI – “Tiger is Coming”
- Zico – “Any Song”
Artist of the Year
- BTS
- Baek Yerin
- Sunwoo JungA
- LEENALCHI
- Jeongmilla
Rookie of the Year
- Meaningful Stone
- DUOXINI
- DeVita
- Seo Bo-Kyung
- Squash Vine
Best Pop Album
- The BLANK Shop – “Tailor”
- BTS – “Map of the Soul: 7”
- Baek Yerin – “Every letter I sent you.”
- EXO’s Baekhyun – “Delight”
- Yukika – “SOUL LADY”
Best Pop Song
- BTS – “Dynamite”
- Baek Yerin – “Square (2017)”
- IU – “eight”
- Oh My Girl – “Dolphin”
- Yukika – “SOUL LADY”
- Zico – “Any Song”
Best Rock Album
- ABTB – “Daydream”
- BADLAMB – “Frightful Waves”
- Squash Vines – “New World”
- Organic Beer – “Trans-Continental Railway”
- JuliaDream – “Life and Death”
Best Rock Song
- ABTB – “Daydream (feat. YoonChul Shin)”
- BADLAMB – “Frightful Waves”
- H a lot – “We are”
- JuliaDream – “El nuevo mundo”
- cotoba – “reyn”
Best Modern Rock Album
- Gong Joong Geu Neul – “Love Song”
- SE SO NEON – “Nonadaptation”
- Shin Hae Gyeong – “In Dreams, In Dreams”
- Jo Dongik – “Blue Pillow”
- Hyukoh – “through love”
Best Modern Rock Song
- Gong Joong Geu Neul – “Season”
- Meaningful Stone – “Bweep Bwoop-Bweep Bwoop”
- SE SO NEON – “NAN CHUN”
- Shin Hae Gyeong – “Colors of You”
- LEENALCHI – “Tiger is Coming”
- Hyukoh – “New Born”
Best Metal and Hardcore Album
- Remnants Of The Fallen – “All The Wounded And Broken”
- Loss of infection – “Dark dimension”
- Messgram – “Cheers For The Failures”
- METHKAMEL – “20th Century”
- COMBATIVE POST – “Whiteout”
Best Dance and Electronic Album
- Lofibaby – “Art Museum”
- Mogwaa – “Open Mind”
- swimrabbit – “POND”
- UZA & SHANE – “Classy”
- Two Tone Shape – “Fantastic Machines”
Best Dance and Electronic Song
- Mogwaa – “Reflex”
- Aseul – “Bye Bye Summer”
- IDIOTAPE – “Too Old to Die Young”
- Jang Myung Sun – “Remiel”
- Two Tone Shape – “The Prophet”
Best Rap and Hip Hop Album
- Nucksal – “1Q87”
- Deepflow – “FOUNDER”
- B-Free – “FREE THE BEAST”
- BILL STAX – “DETOX”
- Khundi Panda – “GAROSAWK”
Best Rap and Hip Hop Song
- Nucksal – “AKIRA”
- MUSHVENOM – “Nice Head”
- BILL STAX – “Lonely Stoner”
- Swervy – “Mama Lisa”
- Khundi Panda – “Nevercomanie”
Best R&B and Soul Album
- Cadejo – “FREEBODY”
- Samuel Seo – “UNITY II”
- Sunwoo JungA – “Serenade”
- TRAIN – “PAINGREEN”
- Chudahye Chagis – “Underneath the Dangsan Tree Tonight”
Best R&B and Soul Song
- DAMYE – “I’m not your son”
- DeVita – “EVITA!”
- Sunwoo JungA – “Run With Me”
- TRAIN – “HURT”
- Chudahye Chagis – “Ritual Dance”
Best Folk Album
- Kim Sawol – “Heaven”
- Kim Jae Hyung – “Flex”
- Bae Young Gyoung – “Travel Record”
- Jeongmilla – “CheongPa Sonata”
- Jo Donghee – “Sadness is the shadow of beauty”
Best Folk Song
- Kim Sawol – “Key”
- Kim Jae Hyung – “Failure Story”
- Kim Chang Wan – “Old Man’s Bench”
- Jeongmilla – “The Square”
- Jeongmilla – “Departing from Seoul Station”
Best Jazz Album
- Sukyung Kim – “Lilac Hill”
- MALO – “Song Changsik Song Book”
- Seo Bo-Kyung – “INNER MOVIE”
- Soojin Suh – “Colorist”
- Jung Sumin – “Sense of Agony”
- Cho Yoonseung & Kim Sungwon – “Stellive Vol.5 – Blues in the Night”
Best Crossover Album
- Gonia – “A Tension”
- Gray By Silver – “Eternal Gray”
- GaYoung Bae – “Sepia Painting”
- LEENALCHI – “SUGUNGGA”
- Ji Park – “VRI String Quartet ‘Save The Planet”
Best Jazz and Crossover Performance
- KoHeean Trio – “Live at Jazz First”
- Soojin Suh – “Colorist”
- Sunjae Lee & Eunyoung Kim & Dayeon Seok – “Pulse Theory”
- Jehee – “On The Wind”
- Charlie Jung – “Sein’s Blues”
Pemenang Winner of Special Achievement Award: Deulgukhwa
Korean Music Awards ke-18 mempertimbangkan semua album musik yang dirilis di Korea mulai 1 Desember 2019 hingga 30 November 2020. Alih-alih penjualan, pencapaian musik adalah kriteria utama dalam pemilihan pemenang.
Pemenang akan diumumkan pada 28 Februari pukul 6 sore KST di Nodeulseom di Seoul, yang akan disiarkan langsung secara online.
