Gold Disc Awards 2014 winners announced

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin

Japanese girl group AKB48 and boy band One Direction won as Artists of the Year at the recently concluded Japan Gold Disc Awards 2014.

Several K-pop artists also emerged as winners in the prestigious awards, including TVXQ, Girls’ Generation and BAP.

Japan 2nd, Korea 11th in global music sales

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin

Japan maintained its position as the second largest music market in the world while South Korea kept its 11th place despite a decline in music sales in 2012.

In the top 20 markets for Global Recorded Music Sales in 2012, the United States is still No. 1 with sales of $4.48 billion, a decline of 0.5 percent from 2011, according to the RIAJ Yearbook 2013 issued by the Recording Industry Association in Japan (RIAJ).

Girls' Generation (top) and AKB48 (Photos by www.newsen.com)

Japanese Pop Star Shaves Head After Sex Scandal

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines - The Japanese music industry is reeling from a sex scandal involving a member of top girl group AKB48 and a Japanese-Filipino member of GENERATIONS boy band.

AKB48 member Minegishi Minami, 20, shaved her head after a Japanese weekly magazine published a report and photos of her spending the night and leaving the house of GENERATIONS member Shirahama Alan, 19. The two starred in a 2011 drama.

Complete winners of the Billboard Japan Music Awards

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines – Japanese girl group AKB48 swept the Billboard Japan Music Awards, bagging four awards including the Artist of the Year.

AKB48 (Billboard Japan)

T-ara (Billboard Japan)