EXO vs BTS vs ENHYPEN: K-Media Raise Tension If Who Will Win 'Popularity Award' at K-World Dream Awards

Which group and fandom will reign this year at the 2024 K-World Dream Awards? Ahead of the ceremony, the fierce battle between EXO, BTS, and ENHYPEN is gaining interest.

On July 23, Sports Kyunghyang highlighted the three leading boy groups racing to take home the 1st place trophy for the "Group Popularity Award."

This title is one of the awards given annually by the Soribada Best K-Music Awards (SOBA), which is now known as the K-World Dream Awards.

This year, the voting was officially opened on July 18 for female and male group categories, and respective fandoms of the 52 teams nominated are all-out in voting their favorites.

What made this award special is that this trophy could only be attained by a group with the collective effort of its fandom since 100% of the criteria are based on global fan votes.

This will solidify the influence of the group around the world and become a way to prove the voting power of numerous fandoms.

Based on the official voting app for this year's awards, UPICK, the current leading groups in the male category are EXO, BTS & ENHYPEN.

As a result, the K-media weighed on the high chance one of the three groups would climb to the No.1 spot.

EXO, the "Nation's Pick" from the third-gen era, is the current holder of the first seat. It has shown off its impeccable firepower even after reaching a 13-year career. EXO-Ls (fandom) is expected to maintain this energy, just like how fans filled the Inspire Arena during their 2024 EXO Fan Meeting: ONE" last April.But Eris can't chill yet since they are against BTS, the current "biggest boy group in the world," and ARMYs, one of the strongest fandoms. Aside from their vast purchasing power and streaming strength, they are also known for their voting capabilities.

Currently, all BTS members except leader Jin are serving in the military, but they are continuously proving their influence and fame with the high support their solo projects are receiving.

Lastly, ENHYPEN, "one of K-pop's 4th-gen representatives," is trailing behind two giants in third place.

Although they have been in the music industry for only four years, they have shown outstanding performance in each of their music releases.Recently, they recorded a career-high by ranking No. 2 at the "Billboard 200" with its second full-length album, "ROMANCE: UNTOLD" dropped on July 12.

Meanwhile, TWICE, QWER and BABYMONSTER are the leading Top 3 for the female category. The final winner will be announced after the voting period closes on August 8 at 3 p.m. KST.

Until then, fans can continue voting through the platform UPICK.The winner will then be awarded the "2024 K-World Dream Awards," which will be held at Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on August 22.

The ceremony is expected to feature numerous artists representing K-pop and gather them in one place to showcase a fantastic stage.

READ MORE: From EXO to BTS to ENHYPEN: K-Media Highlights the Blueprint and Succeeding Groups with 'Worldview' Concepts in K-pop

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Written by Eunice Dela Cruz