SEOUL, Dec. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Koreans have chosen boy band BigBang as the artist of 2015, a Gallup survey showed Thursday.

The five-member act received 15.5 percent of the votes in interviews conducted by Gallup Korea in July, September and November.

BigBang topped music charts every month from May to August, when they released "Bang Bang Bang," "Loser," "Sober" and "Bae Bae" on the first day of each month. These singles culminated in the album "MADE."

   BigBang had been the No. 2 artist of the year for three consecutive years from 2007 to 2009. They were second in 2011, and this is the first time the group topped the Gallup survey.

Singer-songwriter IU, who released her EP "CHAT-SHIRE" in October, was a close second with 15.4 percent.

Third place went to Girls' Generation with 11.9 percent. After a brief setback caused by the exit of member Jessica last year, the eight-member act drove both title tracks on the fifth album "Lion Heart" to the top of music charts.

The pollster interviewed 4,200 South Koreans aged 13-59, and for idol groups, they interviewed an additional 1,500 South Koreans aged 13-29 to reflect their particular popularity among younger people.

The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 1.5 percentage points. For idol groups, the margin of error was plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.

(Photo : Mnet)

VIPs are in for a disappointment with the upcoming year-end K-pop music awards ceremonies.

Following their epic performance at the Mnet Asian Music Awards earlier this month, BIGBANG will not appear on stage at any other 2015 awards shows.

According to YG Entertainment, the group is not going to be attending because the members will be focusing on their world tour and completing their MADE album.

In 2015, the group released four single albums and seven music videos as part of their MADE Series, all while taking their MADE 2015-16 World Tour across the globe.

The tour, which kicked off on April 25 and 26 in Seoul, will finish up the last few stops in Japan in 2016. BIGBANG will start again on January 9, 2016, where they will perform for their fans in Osaka. Their MADE tour will officially end on February 23, 2016, with Tokyo being the last stop.

BIGBANG won the Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Music Video, and Best International Artist awards at the 2015 Mnet Asian Music Awards on Dec. 2, and four trophies including Song of the Year and Artist of the Year at the MelOn Music Awards on Nov. 7.

Source: KPopStarz