K-POP Completely Excluded from 67th Grammy Awards, Sign of Changing Global Influence

K-POP was entirely omitted from the 67th Grammy Awards, which were held in Los Angeles on February 2. This exclusion is viewed as a signal indicating a shift in the influence once held by K-POP as the dominant force in the global music market. At this year’s Grammy Awards, Beyoncé won the Album of the Year award for the first time with her 2024 studio album “Cowboy Carter,” while Kendrick Lamar, Sabrina Carpenter, Lady Gaga, and Bruno Mars were also named winners. Artists such as Chappell Roan, Carpenter, Billie Eilish, Charli XCX, Shakira, John Legend, and Stevie Wonder performed at the ceremony. The absence of K-POP is particularly notable. Members of BTS, including Jung Kook, RM, and Jimin, were eligible for Grammy nominations in 2025 but were excluded during the nomination announcement in November 2024. Lisa of BLACKPINK also failed to receive a nomination despite achieving global success that would have qualified her for a Rookie of the Year award. Several factors are cited as reasons why K-POP does not receive serious consideration at the Grammy Awards. First, the lack of K-POP groups with the global dominance once held by BTS is identified as a key issue. As K-POP has grown into a massive industry with new groups debuting every week, there are no groups possessing the same level of global impact as in the past. However, there are also signs of hope. BLACKPINK announced a new album and world tour this year, all BTS members will complete their military service by June, and Lisa has released multiple singles since founding her agency LLOUD in February 2024, including “Rockstar,” “New Woman,” “Moonlit Floor,” and “Born Again.” The return of these artists and the release of new songs suggest that 2025 could become a turning point for the K-POP industry. Previously, BTS was the only K-POP group to appear multiple times at the Grammy Awards, receiving nominations in 2021 for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Dynamite,” in 2022 for the same category for “Butter,” in 2023 for “Music Video of the Year (Yet To Come)” and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “My Universe” with Coldplay, and for Album of the Year for “Music of the Spheres.”