# Melon Music Award for Album of the Year

The Melon Music Award for Album of the Year is an award presented by South Korean entertainment company Kakao M at the annual Melon Music Awards, with its inaugural online ceremony in 2005. Award winners are based on data collected from the Melon music platform and honors artists who have had exceptional performance during the recording year. Since 2009, it has comprised one of the daesang (grand prize) awards given at the event, alongside Song of the Year, Artist of the Year, and later Record of the Year—the latter of which was introduced during the 2018 ceremony.
From 2005 to 2008, award winners were announced online, although there was no album accolade given in 2007 or 2008. The ceremony was officially held offline in Seoul starting with the 2009 awards, with Album of the Year becoming one of the ceremony's grand prizes. The ceremony has been held at various venues throughout Seoul. As of 2021, the criteria for the Album of the Year accolade currently consist of a breakdown of 60% digital sales and streaming figures, 20% evaluation from a panel of judges, and 20% online voting.
BTS is the most awarded artist in the category, having won four times in 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020. Other artists who have won the award more than once include 2NE1, Busker Busker and IU. BTS and IU are the most nominated artists in the category, having been nominated six times.

## Winners and nominees

From 2005 to 2008, the Melon Music Award winners were announced online and were based entirely on online voting. In 2007 and 2008, there was no album accolade announced by the event committee.
List of online award winners (2005–2008) :
| Year | Winner(s) | Album |
| 2005 | SG Wannabe | Saldaga |
| 2006 | Kim Jong-kook | Fourth Letter |
| 2007 | No award given | No award given |
| 2008 | No award given | No award given |
The Melon Music Awards were held in a traditional live format for the first time since 2009, with Album of the Year consisting of one the three daesang prizes, alongside Artist of the Year and Song of the Year. Because of this, the 2009 event is regarded as the first "official" ceremony in the show's history.
List of daesang award winners and nominees (2009–present) :
| Year | Winner(s) | Album | Nominees | Ref. |
| 2009 | G-Dragon | Heartbreaker | 2NE1 – 2NE1 1st Mini Album 2PM – 2:00PM Time for Change Brown Eyed Girls – Sound-G Davichi – Davichi in Wonderland Girls' Generation – Gee Kara – Revolution MC Mong – Humanimal Outsider – Maestro SG Wannabe – Gift from SG Wannabe | [11] [12] |
| 2010 | 2NE1 | To Anyone | Girls' Generation – Oh! 2AM – Can't Let You Go Even If I Die DJ DOC – Pungnyu 4Men – The 3rd Generation | [13] [14] |
| 2011 | 2NE1 | 2NE1 2nd Mini Album | Leessang – Asura Balbalta Beast – Fiction and Fact Big Bang – Tonight IU – Real | [15] [16] |
| 2012 | Busker Busker | Busker Busker 1st Album | IU – Last Fantasy Big Bang – Alive G-Dragon – One of a Kind Psy – Psy 6 (Six Rules), Part 1 | [17] [18] |
| 2013 | Busker Busker | Busker Busker 2nd Album | Shinee – The Misconceptions of Us IU – Modern Times Exo – XOXO G-Dragon – Coup d'Etat | [19] [20] |
| 2014 | g.o.d | Chapter 8 | 2NE1 – Crush IU – A Flower Bookmark AKMU – Play Taeyang – Rise | [21] [22] |
| 2015 | Exo | Exodus | Big Bang – M Shinee – Odd Toy – Da Capo Hyukoh – 22 | [23] [24] |
| 2016 | BTS | The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever | Exo – Ex'Act Psy – Chiljip Psy-da AKMU – Spring Jang Beom-june – Jang Beom June 2 Album | [25] [26] |
| 2017 | IU | Palette | Exo – The War BTS – You Never Walk Alone Psy – 4X2=8 Big Bang – Made | [27] [28] |
| 2018 | BTS | Love Yourself: Tear | Blackpink – Square Up iKon – Return Wanna One – 0+1=1 (I Promise You) Bolbbalgan4 – Red Diary Page.2 | [29] [30] |
| 2019 | BTS | Map of the Soul: Persona | Bolbbalgan4 – Puberty Book I Bom Jang Beom-june – Jang Beom June 3 Jannabi – Legend MC the Max – Circular | [31] [32] |
| 2020 | BTS | Map of the Soul: 7 | Iz*One – Bloom*Iz Baek Ye-rin – Every Letter I Sent You Bolbbalgan4 – Youth Diary II Oh My Girl – Nonstop | [33] [34] |
| 2021 | IU | Lilac | AKMU – Next Episode NCT Dream – Hot Sauce BTS – Be Heize – Happen | |
| 2022 | Lim Young-woong | Im Hero | Psy – Psy 9th IU – Pieces (G)I-dle – I Never Die NewJeans – New Jeans | |
| 2023 | Ive | I've Ive | (G)I-dle – I Feel Aespa – My World Le Sserafim – Unforgiven NewJeans – Get Up | |
| 2024 | Aespa | Armageddon | (G)I-dle – 2 Day6 – Fourever IU – The Winning Plave – Asterum: 134-1 | |

## Records
### Most nominations

Most award nominations :
| Number | Artist |
| 7 | IU |
| 6 | BTS |
| 4 | 2NE1 |
| 4 | Big Bang |
| 4 | Exo |
| 3 | Bolbbalgan4 |
| 3 | AKMU |
| 3 | Psy |
| 3 | (G)I-dle |
| 2 | SG Wannabe |
| 2 | Girls' Generation |
| 2 | G-Dragon |
| 2 | Shinee |
| 2 | Jang Beom-june |
| 2 | NewJeans |
| 2 | Aespa |

### Most awards

Most award winners :
| Number | Artist |
| 4 | BTS |
| 2 | IU |
| 2 | Busker Busker |
| 2 | 2NE1 |