K-Pop Makes Historic Debut in Four Major Grammy Categories; ROSÉ’s “APT.” and HUNTR/X’s “GOLDEN” Nominated

As the 68th Grammy Awards approach, K-Pop is making its first appearance in all four of the ceremony’s major categories, known as the Big Four. This marks a historic moment in which K-Pop is recognized as a legitimate competitor on the international music stage rather than merely background music.

ROSÉ, a member of BLACKPINK, has been nominated for Record of the Year as a K-Pop artist for the first time through her collaboration with Grammy-winning artist Bruno Mars on the track “APT.” The same song is also up for Song of the Year.

For the first time, two K-Pop artists are competing in the Song of the Year category. ROSÉ’s “APT.” is competing against “GOLDEN” by the virtual girl group HUNTR/X, whose music appears in the Netflix film *KPop Demon Hunters*. “GOLDEN” features vocals from EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami.

Meanwhile, Katseye, a girl group under HYBE—the parent company of BTS—has been nominated for Best New Artist. Although trained within the K-Pop idol system, Katseye is being marketed toward Western audiences.

Experts hold varying opinions on whether these nominations represent a historic achievement for K-Pop. Areum Jeong, an assistant professor of Korean studies at Arizona State University and author of *K-Pop Fandom: Practicing the Otaku from the 1990s to Today*, described these nominations as an example of “deterritorialized and hybridized K-Pop.”

Professor Jeong noted that although ROSÉ was trained within the K-Pop system and “APT.” incorporates elements from a Korean drinking game, the song does not feel like a typical locally produced K-Pop track. Similarly, she said Katseye, though trained and produced by HYBE, is marketed aimed at Western listeners. Jeong added that while both “APT.” and Katseye’s “Gabriella” are competing in the Pop Duo/Group Performance category, they “feel less K-Pop-like compared to other K-Pop songs that may have been nominated for the Grammy in previous years.”

Mathieu Berbiguier, a visiting assistant professor of Korean studies at Carnegie Mellon University, emphasizes the uniqueness of these nominations. He explained that “unlike past K-Pop Grammy nominations, ‘GOLDEN,’ ‘APT.’, and Katseye all incorporate elements of mainstream popular music.” He cited the highly popular Netflix film *KPop Demon Hunters* as an example of widespread appeal, the collaboration with a mainstream pop star for “APT.,” and the international composition and Netflix series behind Katseye.

“This shows that K-Pop is no longer considered a niche culture,” Berbiguier stressed. As K-Pop makes its debut as a main competitor on the Grammy stage, it simultaneously reveals the complexity and diversity inherent in its evolution.