The announcement of nominees for the 34th Seoul Music Awards on March 25 sparked disappointment among BTS fans, known as ARMY, Their frustration stems from the exclusion of BTS’s sub-vocalist, V (Kim Taehyung), from all nomination categories.
Fans are struggling to understand why he did not receive a single nod, despite meeting the eligibility requirements for multiple categories, Many have taken to social media to express their discontent with the judges’ decision.
BTS and members nominations at the 34th Seoul Music Awards:
— Carolyne🌱⁷⁼¹ (@mhereonlyforbts) March 25, 2025
🏆Main prize
-BTS
-JIN
-RM
-JIMIN
-JUNGKOOK
🏆Korean Wave award
-JUNGKOOK
-BTS
-RM
-JIMIN
-JIN
🏆R&B Hip-Hop Award
-RM
-J-HOPE
🏆OST award:
-JIN 'Close to you'
🏆K-POP world Choice-group
-BTS
🏆K-POP world… pic.twitter.com/IUN8AzdHfX
According to the Seoul Music Awards’ guidelines, artists who released music between January 2024 and March 2025 qualified for nominations, The selection process relied on data from Circle Chart, a respected music chart that measures an artist’s performance and impact.
If #SMA criteria are based on Circle Chart, then Taehyung absolutely deserves a nomination for “FRI(END)S.”
— Daniela 📷 RÊVÉ 🖤🤍 (@Daniela78068905) March 25, 2025
WHERE ARE V’S NOMINATIONS, SMA?
V DESERVES BETTER!#서울가요대상 #SMA #SeoulMusicAwards pic.twitter.com/RnoHKzsKC5
The awards aim to recognize the most influential and successful artists of the year, but ARMY believes that by excluding V’s work, the event failed to uphold its own criteria.
Fans have particularly questioned why Fri(end)s, one of V’s most successful tracks, was overlooked despite its strong performance on global Billboard and iTunes charts, Additionally, his duet Winter Ahead with Park Hyo Shin, released in November 2024, also met all eligibility requirements, The stark contrast between V’s complete omission and the multiple nominations received by his fellow BTS members Jin, RM, Jimin, and Jungkook has only added to their frustration.
Taehyung is the BTS member that the company hurts the most. I hope Korean fans are watching this and don't stop shouting loudly.. this company needs to respect Taehyung's work.
— αdrαsteiα (@thvnewl) March 25, 2025
WHERE IS V NOMINATIONS SMA ?
V DESERVES BETTER#서울가요대상 #SMA#SeoulMusicAwards pic.twitter.com/HdW2hXgMKp
Some fans see V’s absence as more than an oversight, labeling it a “deliberate disregard” of his contributions, Words like “outrageous” and “unacceptable” have been used to describe the situation. One fan even took to X to criticize HYBE, BTS’s agency, accusing them of not providing enough support for V’s solo career, The post read:
Taehyung is the BTS member that the company hurts the most, I hope Korean fans are watching this and don’t stop shouting loudly... this company needs to respect Taehyung’s work.
Many others echoed similar sentiments, with the phrase “V DESERVES BETTER” trending online.
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The controversy surrounding V’s exclusion has intensified discussions about fairness in music awards and the recognition of solo artists within major groups.
