*This content was translated by AI.
KT&G Sangma-dang held the final competition of "2026 Band Discovery," a program to discover and support indie musicians, at KT&G Sangma-dang Hongdae with great success.
"Band Discovery" is a representative cultural contribution program that has been carried out by KT&G Sangma-dang since 2007, marking its 18th year this time. A total of 65 teams were selected up to last year and received practical benefits such as prize money, album production, and performance opportunities.
This year, the recruitment began in March, with a total of 331 teams applying for participation. The final competition featured live performances by six teams selected through preliminary screening — "Pitch Truck Hijackers," "Oysters," "Dadada," "Ilsipsail," "Porje Group," and "Soneulmora" — along with a special performance by the 2025 Band Discovery champion team, "Sim Island."
After evaluation by professional judges, two teams were selected as winners: "Pitch Truck Hijackers" and "Oysters." Each winning team will receive benefits worth a total of 20 million won, including participation in the "2027 Sangma Realization Festival" and an opportunity to hold a solo concert at KT&G Sangma-dang Hongdae.
In a phone interview with this newspaper, a KT&G official stated, "Band Discovery has served as a gateway for emerging musicians who possess outstanding talent but lacked opportunities to perform on stage to gain recognition among the public."
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*This content was translated by AI.
