By Hong Angie

Photos = iHeartRadio

Quite a few K-pop idols have received nominations for this year's iHeartRadio Music Awards of the U.S.

The New York-based online radio station iHeartRadio on Jan. 18 released this year's list of the honors that included members from BTS, NewJeans and ATEEZ in several categories. This year also has three new K-pop categories, attesting to the genre's higher status abroad.

BTS members J-Hope, V and Jungkook were nominated for Best Music Video, Favorite On Screen, Favorite Debut Album, and the new prizes K-pop Artist of the Year and K-pop Song of the Year.

Jungkook's "Seven" and "3D" will compete for Best Music Video along with "Flower" by BLACKPINK member Jisoo. V's first solo album "Layover" was nominated for Favorite Debut Album, joined by "Golden" by Jungkook, who also got nominations in four categories, a mark for a K-pop solo act.

Best Fan Army nominations went to Army of BTS and Atiny of ATEEZ. The former has won this award six straight times since 2018, with this year seeing its seventh consecutive nomination.

SEVENTEEN received its first nomination for K-pop Artist of the Year. Garnering major attention for trying to rewrite K-pop history, the boy band is attracting significant speculation over whether it will win its first award from iHeartRadio.

Fellow boy band NCT DREAM, who has sold 4.32 million copies of its third album "ISTJ" since its release in July last year, also received a nod for K-pop Artist of the Year. And another boy band, ZEOROBASEONE, will compete for the newly created award of Best New Artist (K-pop).

Girl group NewJeans is up for the newly created category K-pop Song of the Year for "Super Shy" and Best New Artist (K-pop). The track from its second EP "Get Up" has remained on the Billboard Hot 100 main singles chart for eight consecutive weeks, peaking at No. 48.

Fellow girl group (G)I-DLE also received nominations for Duo/Group of the Year and K-pop Artist of the Year.

Founded in 2014, the annual iHeartRadio awards go to artists and songs played most on iHeartRadio stations and apps in a year. The ceremony will be held on April 1 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

shong9412@korea.kr