K-pop group ILLIT is making waves in Japan after winning the Excellent Work Award at the 67th Japan Record Awards with their hit song Almond Chocolate.
On November 21, HYBE Music Group label BELIEF LAB confirmed that ILLIT (Yoon A, Min Ju, Mo Ka, Won Hee, I Ro Ha) had received the honor. The award is given to 10 songs each year that show the best in artistry, originality, and popularity. This year, ILLIT was the only overseas artist selected, and they became the first K-pop group to win the award with an original Japanese song.
The 10 songs chosen for the Excellent Work Award are also candidates for the Grand Prize, which will be announced during the live broadcast on December 30 on TBS.
Last year, ILLIT made history by receiving the New Artist Award for their debut song Magnetic, marking the first time in 13 years that a K-pop girl group had won. This made them the first K-pop girl group to win both the New Artist Award and the Excellent Work Award at the Japan Record Awards.
Through their agency, ILLIT shared, “We are very happy to receive another meaningful award this year following last year. Thank you to everyone who loved Almond Chocolate. We will continue to work hard to share music that touches people’s hearts.”
Almond Chocolate, created as the theme song for the Japanese movie I Don’t Like You for Your Face Only, features a soft melody and ILLIT’s clear vocals. The song quickly gained popularity in Japan, surpassing 50 million streams in just five months, earning a Gold Certification for streaming—the fastest for any overseas artist released this year.
In addition, ILLIT officially debuted in Japan in September with their first single Toki Yo Tomare (時よ止まれ), topping major music charts. Their success has earned them spots at Japan’s top year-end music shows, including Kohaku Uta Gassen and FNS Music Festival, marking two years in a row of remarkable achievements for the group.
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