Netizens are demanding transparency as they reexamine the criteria governing Daesangs across major award shows over the years.

In the wake of NCT Dream's recent Daesang win and closing speech at the 'MelOn Music Awards 2023,' netizens have raised concerns about the recurring pattern of SM Entertainment artists clinching these honors with what some perceive as 'questionable criteria.'

Upon combing through the annals of Daesang selection history, netizens have found shifts in criteria during certain years, fueling suspicions that the data metrics for album and song releases are tilting favorably towards SM Entertainment artists.

According to the netizens, what further muddies the waters is the "Jury Evaluation" component, which relies on the decisions of an anonymous panel of judges that render the selection process opaque. For instance, this year's 'MMA' crowned the Best Record of the Year based 100% on the judgment score awarded by a panel.

Similar circumstances occurred at the '2022 Genie Music Awards,' where NCT Dream emerged as Artist of the Year and Album of the Year with supplementary 'judgment' points. Netizens contend that Lim Young Woong, Song of the Year recipient, would have claimed both awards if not for the extra points.

Beyond these instances, netizens have scrutinized other award shows over the years:

1. Girls' Generation's Digital Song Daesang at '2011 Golden Disk Awards'

The eligibility criteria had shifted for that year alone, with releases considered solely from January 1, 2011, to November 30, 2011. This departure from tradition excluded December 2010 releases, like IU's "Good Day," which netizens argue would have contended under the usual guidelines. 

Netizens also noted that Girls' Generation's "The Boys" ranked #43 on the end-of-year Gaon Chart, a stark contrast to past and future Daesang winners, such as Psy, Taeyang, Big Bang, TWICE, and IU, whose songs have steadily ranked #1 or #2 throughout the year.

2. SHINee's Best Artist of the Year at the '2013 MelOn Music Awards'

According to the netizens, "SHINee won Daesang despite their songs falling short in streams and sales that year, thanks to the additional evaluative scores from a panel of judges."

3. EXO at the '2017 MelOn Music Awards'

According to the netizens, this Daesang "raised eyebrows as IU and Bolbbalgan4 held the #1 and #2 chart positions with considerably more streams than EXO."

4. Taeyeon at the '2020 Seoul Music Awards'

Taeyeon's "Four Seasons" triumphed as Song of the Year, despite having fewer streams compared to the BTS song in their album 'Map of the Soul: Persona,' which won Album of the Year, in order to allegedly split the Daesang. 

The following year, the Daesang category for Song of the Year was removed. It has since been recorded that 2020 was the only year in which a Daesang for Song of the Year was given at this award show.

5. NCT 127's Daesang at the '2022 Seoul Music Awards'

NCT 127 secured a Daesang at the 2022 Seoul Music Awards for "Sticker," "even though it couldn't enter the yearly streaming chart due to low stream counts, in addition to the album sales and fan votes," according to a netizen.

6. NCT Dream's Daesang at the '2023 Seoul Music Awards'

NCT Dream's Daesang win puzzled netizens, as other artists who received Bonsang awards in this ceremony had boasted higher album and streaming scores.

Notably, the prevalence of SM Entertainment artists clinching Daesangs particularly at the 'Seoul Music Awards' has prompted netizens to jokingly dub the event "SM Music Awards."

Comments from netizens reflect a mixture of amusement and frustration:

"LOL this history is quite a spectacle"
"That Daesang created just for the year 2019 for the Seoul Music Awards is legendary lol"
"This year again.."
"I wonder when they will stop doing this"
"I was so embarrassed for them when they had to give a speech..."
"It was second-hand embarrassment"
"What the heck is 'Best Record of the Year' anyway lol"
"Can't believe there has been another update in this list"
"What a great tradition in the company..."
"The thing is, I never even knew that NCT had won that many Daesangs"
"There should be more lol"
"I don't even know why they are obsessing so much over Daesang in the first place"
"As a fan of these artists, I don't even want them to get Daesang"
"It's frkn hilarious how they had Song of the Year at the Seoul Music Awards only for those released in 2019 lmao"
"It's like they want to brainwash people using the Daesang..?"
"They love ending slots...."
"Wasn't SM Music Awards enough for you...? Did you really have to touch MelOn, too..?"
"IVE or NewJeans really should have won that Daesang at MelOn"

What are your thoughts?