Earlier this year, it was reported the Teen Choice 2015 would feature a brand new category never used in their previous award shows: the Choice International Artist. It would be a category favoring fans of K-pop as half of the nominees were prominent K-pop acts , specifically Super Junior, 2NE1, and Girls’ Generation. As a result, Sones (Girls’ Generation fans), Blackjacks (2NE1 fans), and ELFs (Super Junior fans) poured in the votes hoping their favored K-pop group would beat out the five other nominees.
In the end, the one K-pop group that took the inaugural title was Super Junior. Not only did they beat out their fellow prominent K-pop acts, but they also beat out teen heartthrob group from the U.K., One Direction.
The results for the Teen Choice 2015 were presented on August, 16, 2015 in the Galen Center in Los Angeles, California while being broadcast live by FOX. The 90 minute-long show featured the presentation of awards to the more prominent categories as well as performances. Given the fact that almost all the nominees for the choice international artist were both heavily booked and overseas, it is understandable why the winner was shown via winner’s list on the Teen Choice official website.
As we now know, Super Junior beat out the other five nominees to win the inaugural category. We also know they are the only East Asian artist/group to win at the awards show too. Still, the fact that Super Junior beat out U.K. sensation One Direction shows that K-pop is gaining momentum outside of Korea , as detailed by KpopStarz .
Unfortunately, not everyone is happy to see the tides change in favor for the international music genre as proven by the disdain of Directioners (fans of One Direction). When One Direction lost Billboard’s Fan Army Face-Off 2015 to K-pop group T-ara, they didn’t take it well in which they came out in hordes to attack T-ara, the K-pop group’s fans and the K-pop itself online. As of now, it is unknown how Directioners will respond to their beloved boy band group losing a second time to a K-pop act.
As for Super Junior, the group that debuted a decade ago is working on post-release promotions of their album Devil . They also recently performed at KCON LA on August 1, 2015.
[Image via Super Junior’s Official Facebook ]