The annual T-Pop of the Year (TOTY) Music Awards has announced the nominees for popular voting, with fans noticing the absence of several high-profile acts from the list.
On 31 January, organisers T-Pop Stage Show disclosed the names for the ten popular vote categories: male and female artistes, male and female groups, mixed-gender groups, band, rookie, collaboration, original soundtrack, as well as music of the year.
The categories will be open for fans to vote from 3 to 28 February, with the winners to be announced at the awards show on 18 March.
Unsurprisingly, Jeff Satur leads the pack with three nominations – for male artiste, OST, and song of the year – as well as a joint nomination with Bodyslam in the collaborations category.
Also in the lead is Nont Tanont, with two nominations and two joint nominations with The Toys.
‘WHERE’S PROXIE?’
While fans were generally excited about the release of the nominees list, many questioned organisers’ selection choices – particularly in the male group category.
POPular MALE GROUP OF THE YEAR
— TPOP Stage (@StageTpop) January 31, 2025
จากการพิจารณายอดสตรีมมิงของศิลปิน BUS พบว่าเพลงที่มียอดสตรีมมิงสูงสุดคือ ‘แค่ไหนแค่นั้น (NO MATTER WHAT)’ ซึ่งมียอดสตรีมมิงสูงกว่าเพลงอื่น ๆ ของ BUS
อย่างไรก็ตาม แฟน ๆ ของวง BUS ได้เสนอให้ใช้เพลง ‘LIAR’ แทน ซึ่งหลังจากการตรวจสอบแล้ว… pic.twitter.com/hk695OOys0
The nominees included two Sonray groups DICE and BUS Because of you I shine, as well as two Riser Music groups – LYKN, and the newly-minted Project JASP.ER. Topping off the list was ATLAS, from XOXO Entertainment.
Noticably absent were boy groups like Proxie and PERSES, who had successfully released new music in 2024. Both groups were also absent in other categories.
Fans immediately picked up on this, and questioned organisers on their selection criteria.
“Where’s Proxie?” one wrote. Others wondered why Project JASP.ER was not nominated in the rookie category instead, given that the group had been formed just months ago.
The nominations in the male group were also marred by an eleventh-hour swap.
BUS was initially nominated for the song แค่ไหนแค่นั้น (NO MATTER WHAT) (which was sung by sub-unit BUS5), but hours later, T-Pop Stage swapped the song with LIAR, following fan feedback.
