K-POP Makes Historic Debut at the 68th Grammy Awards with Multiple Strong Contenders Including Rosé, aespa, and Ateez

With the first round of voting for the 68th Grammy Awards concluding on Wednesday, K-POP now stands at a high probability of winning a Grammy for the first time in history. Hosted by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences since 1959, the Grammy Awards represent the highest honor in the American music industry, and to date no K-pop artist has ever won one. However, this year’s 68th Grammy Awards consider only recordings released between August 31, 2024, and August 30, 2025 — the most globally successful K-pop songs to date. Key contenders include BLACKPINK’s Rosé and Bruno Mars’s “APT.,” along with the OST “Golden” from Netflix’s animated film “KPop Demon Hunters.” Both tracks have been nominated for the two most prestigious categories this year: Record of the Year and Song of the Year, where they will compete against each other. Their respective albums, “Rosie” and “KPop Demon Hunters,” have also entered the Album of the Year category. “APT.,” in addition, is competing in Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video, while “Golden” has been submitted in four categories: Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Remixed Recording, Best Music Video, and Best Song Written for Visual Media. Thanks to the popularity of the animated film, “Golden” has topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Official Singles Chart for multiple weeks, further strengthening its position as a strong competitor. Beyond these, numerous K-pop stars have entered various categories. For Record of the Year alone, the nominees include BLACKPINK’s “JUMP,” Jennie’s “Like JENNIE,” Lisa’s “Born Again,” BTS’s Jin’s “Don’t Say You Love Me,” RM and American rapper Megan’s “Never Play,” j-hope’s “Sweet Dreams,” SEVENTEEN’s “Thunder,” Tomorrow X Together’s “Beautiful Strangers,” KATSEYE’s “Gabriela,” TWICE’s “Strategy,” and Stray Kids’s “Walking On Water.” For Album of the Year, the nominees are Jennie’s “RUBY,” Lisa’s “Alter Ego,” Jin’s “Echo,” SEVENTEEN’s “SPILL THE FEELS,” Tomorrow X Together’s “The Star Chapter: TOGETHER,” TWICE’s “Strategy,” and Stray Kids’s “HOP.” KATSEYE, aespa, and Ateez are competing in the Best New Artist category. In the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category, where BTS was nominated for three consecutive years from 2021 to 2023, other entries include IVE’s “XOXZ,” LE SSERAFIM’s “HOT,” Ateez’s “In Your Fantasy,” and RIIZE’s “Fly Up.” Throughout Grammy history, only two Korean artists — soprano Cho Su-mi and audio engineer Hwang Byung-joon — have won a Grammy, but this year’s large-scale entry of K-pop artists significantly increases the likelihood that Korean popular music will gain recognition on the world stage. The nominations for the 68th Grammy Awards are set to be announced on November 7.