15 K-Pop Boy Group Albums That Won Awards For Their Impressive Cover Design

Among catchy songs and incredible talent, one thing K-Pop is known for is attractive album packaging. Given that K-Pop albums are designed to look great on display and encourage fans to purchase more, it’s no surprise that designers put a lot of time and care into making them perfect—and that hard work doesn’t go unnoticed. Many K-Pop albums have actually received awards from some of the most prestigious ceremonies, including the international Red Dot Design Awards and iF Design Awards. Take a look at 15 boy group album covers that have been officially recognized for their innovation, aesthetics, concept, and more.

1. BTS – Love Yourself: Her, Tear & Answer

The album art for BTS’s Love Yourself trilogy became the latest K-Pop design to win a Communication Design Award at the 2020 Red Dot Design Awards.

The packaging was designed by HuskyFox and also became the first album to earn a Grammy nomination for best album package in 2018.

2. EXO – MAMA

The album art for EXO’s MAMA won a Communication Design Award at the 2014 Red Dot Design Awards.

Designed by a team at SM Entertainment, the packaging was awarded for its minimalist typography and incorporation of the group’s hexagonal emblem.

3. EXO – XOXO

The album art for EXO’s XOXO won a Communication Design Award at the 2014 Red Dot Design Awards. It also won an Album Packaging Award at the 2014 iF Design Awards.

Designed by a team at SM Entertainment, the packaging was awarded for representing its concept of aliens in an everyday world with a school notebook and corresponding merchandise.

4. EXO – Miracles in December

The album art for EXO’s Miracles in December won an Album Packaging Award at the 2016 iF Design Awards.

The packaging was designed by a team at SM Entertainment to fit the Christmas and winter theme.

5. GOT7 – Mad

The album art for GOT7’s Mad won an Album Packaging Design Award at the 2016 iF Design Awards.

Designed by Hable Studio, the packaging was awarded for its embodying two emotional states with its calligraphy: one design represented confusion and the other represented rage.

6. GOT7 – Just Right

The album art for GOT7’s Just Right won an Album Packaging Design Award at the 2016 iF Design Awards.

The packaging was designed by ACE Group and featured bright neon coloring with bold geometric elements.

7. WINNER – 2014 S/S

The album art for WINNER’s 2014 S/S won an Album Packaging Design Award at the 2015 Red Dot Design Awards.

The sleek, monochromatic album was designed by a team at YG Entertainment led by former creative director SINXITY, who recently revealed 2014 S/S was his favorite project with WINNER.

8. SHINee – The Misconceptions of You, Me, Us

The album art for SHINee’s The Misconceptions of… trilogy won a Communication Design Award at the 2014 Red Dot Design Awards.

The colorful album cover for The Misconceptions of Us was actually painted by one of the group’s members, Key, whose signature is faintly visible in the bottom right corner.

9. SHINee – Sherlock

The album art for SHINee’s Sherlock won a Communication Design Award at the 2014 Red Dot Design Awards.

Designed by a team at SM Entertainment, the album is known for its series of five covers combining completely distinct illustrations with member photographs.

10. Taeyang – Rise

The album art for Taeyang’s Rise won an Album Packaging Design Award at the 2016 iF Design Awards.

Designed by a team at YG Entertainment, the packaging was awarded for its use of a solar eclipse as well as sun and moon phases to symbolize Taeyang’s musical transformation.

11. Super Junior – Mr. Simple

The album art for Super Junior’s Mr. Simple won a Communication Design Award at the 2014 Red Dot Design Awards.

Designed by a team at SM Entertainment, the packaging was made to fit the group’s “funky” concept at the time with bright colors and retro elements.

12. Super Junior – This is Love

The album art for Super Junior’s This is Love won an Album Packaging Award at the 2016 iF Design Awards.

Designed by a team at SM Entertainment, this special edition packaging was awarded for its cohesiveness when all the covers are lined up as well as the hand-selected contents from each member.

13. Epik High – Shoebox

The album art for Epik High’s Shoebox won an Album Packaging Design Award at the 2016 iF Design Awards.

Designed by a team at YG Entertainment, the packaging was awarded for its embodiment of the poetic themes (meetings and separation) with hand-drawn cover art.