• Over 95 million Tweets were recorded across two 24-hour periods asfans around the world voted for their favorite KPop artists
• EXO wins the Twitter Best Fandom category for the first time andNCT honored with inaugural Twitter Rising Fandom Achievement

SEOUL, KOREA - Media OutReach - 31 May 2019 - Twitter is the place to see what's happening and join in theglobal conversations related to KPop. It was no different for the 14th AnnualSoompi Awards (#SoompiAwards),as KPop fans kept themselves updated through a flurry of Tweets expressingtheir love for their favourite artistes and idols. In an incredible feat,Kpop fans worldwide have set a new #KPopTwitterrecord with over 95 million #TwitterBestFandomTweets over two separate 24-hour voting periods, more than double from 2018!The #TwitterBestFandomcategory is the only Soompi Awards this year to be voted on social media, heldexclusively on Twitter. See the global heatmap below for the worldwide #TwitterBestFandomconversation on Twitter this year.

In a fresh turn of events,  #TeamEXO (@weareoneEXO) emerged as the new winner for the #TwitterBestFandom category as they received the most vote Tweetsthis year! This is the first time that EXO has won this annual popularityaward, showcasing the power of their global fan base on Twitter.

Embeddable Tweet: https://twitter.com/soompi/status/1134319623803817987

In addition, #TeamNCT (@NCTsmtown) received the distinction of being the first KPop group toreceive the brand new Twitter Rising Fandom Achievement, havingseen their total vote Tweets increase by over 5,000% since 2018! This distinctionrecognises the KPop fandom that has grown the most on Twitter by comparing thetotal vote Tweets for each KPop artist this year to the total vote Tweets foreach KPop artist last year. 2018 has indeed been a breakthrough year for NCT,and the growing number of NCTzens responded by showering them with lovethrough their Tweets.

Embeddable Tweet: https://twitter.com/soompi/status/1134338153072848896

Here are the top and fastest-rising Twitter KPopFandoms based on the volume and growth of #TwitterBestFandom Tweets during the 14th annual Soompi Awards:

Top 10 Twitter Best Fandoms ranked by total vote Tweets in 2019:

1. #TeamEXO
2. #TeamBTS
3. #TeamGOT7
4. #TeamWannaOne
5. #TeamNCT
6. #TeamBLACKPINK
7. #TeamiKON
8. #TeamStrayKids
9. #TeamSeventeen
10. #TeamSuperJunior

Top 10 Twitter Rising Fandoms ranked by growth in total vote Tweets comparedto 2018:

1. #TeamNCT
2. #TeamiKON
3. #TeamRedVelvet
4. #TeamWannaOne
5. #TeamBLACKPINK
6. #TeamTWICE
7. #TeamEXO
8. #TeamBTS
9. #TeamSF9
10. #TeamACE

With Twitter as the only social media platformto be used to vote for this year's #SoompiAwards, we have seen fandoms going beyond to expresstheir support for their beloved idols. Conversations also took place, as fansdiscussed hot favourites to win the Twitter awards. Here are some top fanTweets:

• Embeddable Tweet: https://twitter.com/EXOGlobal/status/1101799908925939712
• Embeddable Tweet: https://twitter.com/NCTsmtownUnion/status/1106952334859329536
• Embeddable Tweet: https://twitter.com/chanyeolwife_27/status/1107229003092361216
• Embeddable Tweet: https://twitter.com/jaehyunspics/status/1106987480023076865

Want to join in on the hottest conversationsabout KPop and Korean entertainment? Follow @soompi and use the #KPopTwitter hashtag on Twitter for real-time updates on your favourite KPopartists!

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About Soompi

Soompi, the publishing division of  Rakuten Viki, is the leader in online communities, news,music and more for K-pop and K-entertainment. Rakuten Viki is a globalstreaming destination for Asian entertainment, where millions of people watchtheir favorite TV shows, movies, original Viki productions, as well as curatedlifestyle clips and influencer videos -- translated into 200+ languages by acommunity of avid fans. Together, we're breaking down barriers that standbetween great entertainment and its fans, no matter where they are.