In SNS, fans complained that THIS AAA's segment was truly harsh— crushing rookies & "underrated" idols' confidence– which became even worse after seeing STAYC & ZEROBASEONE's heartbreaking reactions.

Earlier on December 14, 2023, the annual Asia Artist Awards (AAA) was held at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan, Philippines.

The ceremony was attended by a star-studded lineup of K-pop idols and actors including Kim Jae Joong, EXO Suho, NewJeans, ITZY, Stray Kids, LE SSERAFIM, and more.

AAA Attendees Select Stars They Look Forward to Work With: ZEROBASEONE & STAYC React on Earning Low Votes

Even after the event, AAA's official YouTube channel has been uploading clips from the awards ceremony, including a segment called "CHAAART (Chart)" 2023 on the 8th.

In this segment, all participants backstage were asked about the artists that they look forward to doing a challenge with, or actors that they are excited to see in their next film or drama.

While there are fans who were delighted to know that their favorites have the desire to collaborate or work with their respective mentioned stars, viewers were heartbroken to see rookies and "underrated" idols with low to no votes being received.

ALSO READ: Asia Artist Awards 2023 Winners: EXO Suho, NewJeans, LE SSERAFIM, Stray Kids, MORE!

For instance, when ZEROBASEONE came to the board to cast their votes, Kim Gyuvin was surprised to see them getting a few votes and shouted:

"Not many people voted for us!"

The members went silent for a few seconds, and to lift the group's spirit, Jiwoong immediately said:

"Then we should vote for us."

Seok Matthew then showed appreciation to those who voted for them, adding:

"Thank the people who voted for us. We are deeply moved."

In the second part of "Chart 2023," the girl group STAYC appeared and showed vibrant energy while greeting and thanking fans through the camera.

Before even starting, Yoon immediately asked:

"How many stickers do we have?"

Seeun was perplexed and said:

"We didn't get a single vote. Let us vote for ourselves!"

Seeing that they got none, the members decided to give all of their three votes to STAYC, their group and asked viewers to give them more support in the future.

AAA Doing 'CHAAART' 2023 Criticized by K-pop Fans

Upon seeing the "CHAAART" video, viewers and K-pop enthusiasts felt sorry for groups like ZEROBASONE and STAYC, who had to vote for themselves after earning low votes.

Fans are particularly frustrated that such a segment existed, knowing that it would be upsetting for idols and actors not to see them being voted as much as they expected.

On top of it, the votes can be seen by other artists as well and vice versa, which can crush their pride and confidence.

While the votes were selected based on the personal preferences of the AAA attendees and were not intended to determine their popularity, knowing that not many artists or idols don't look forward to working with them is somehow dispiriting, especially for rookies and underrated acts.

In fact, both are not really "nugu" groups, but are actually popular as well. ZEROBASEONE is considered one of the current most anticipated 4.5-gen boy groups.

As for STAYC, while they are called "underrated" compared to A-list groups like NewJeans and LE SSERAFIM, they established their name in the music scene with bops like, "Poppy," "ASAP," "STEREOTYPE" and more.

As a result, many fans claimed that the segment was uncalled for and hoped for it to be disregarded during this year's ceremony.

Fandoms also consoled ZB1 and STAYC by posting their warm messages to them.

READ MORE: No Weak Vocalist? Media Praise STAYC for Best Live Singing Skills Among 4th-Gen Idols

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Written by Eunice Dawson.