SM Entertainment‘s rookie boy group RIIZE made fans and their senior artists NCT DREAM proud with their performance at the 2023 Melon Music Awards. And they didn’t go home empty-handed.

RIIZE | @RIIZE_official/Twitter

Eagle-eyed fans noticed that the group’s win broke a record from over ten years ago.

Alongside the project group ZEROBASEONE, RIIZE won the award for New Artist of the Year. They became the third SM Entertainment group to earn the title—after one of K-Pop’s most influential groups.

| @RIIZE_official/Twitter

Fifteen years ago, SHINee was the second SM Entertainment group to win the New Artist of the Year award at the Melon Music Awards in 2008. They took the torch from Super Junior who won in 2006.

SHINee

In addition to breaking a record that was fifteen years old, fans were touched that SHINee was at the awards show to see RIIZE win and pass the torch.

| @SHINee/Twitter They’re only one of three groups to achieve it.