Rosé and KATSEYE Make History by Becoming First K-Pop Artists to Enter Grammy’s General Fields Category; U.S. Media Hails Mainstream Recognition

BLACKPINK’s Rosé and the Netflix animated series *KPop Demon Hunters* (hereafter KATSEYE) have become the first K-Pop artists in history to be nominated for Grammy Awards’ General Fields category, which represents the main competitive categories of the ceremony. According to the list of nominees for the 68th Grammy Awards released by the Recording Academy on the 7th (local time), Rosé was nominated in three categories — including Song of the Year and Record of the Year — for her single “APT.”” featuring pop star Bruno Mars. This marks the first time a K-Pop solo artist has appeared on a Grammy main stage. KATSEYE’s original soundtrack track “Golden” received nominations in five categories, including Song of the Year, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Song Written for Visual Media, Best Remixed Recording, and Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media. The multinational girl group KATSEYE, a joint venture between HYBE and American label Geffen Records, was nominated for Best New Artist and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, which are awards for emerging artists. This announcement is viewed as a historic moment signaling K-Pop’s entry into the center of the international music scene. It is three years after BTS was nominated for “My Universe” in 2023, and this time K-Pop artists have reached the main Grammy categories, representing a qualitative difference from previous nominations. Unlike BTS, who over the past decade was primarily nominated in genre-specific categories such as Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Rosé and KATSEYE have made it into Grammy’s most prestigious general categories. Major U.S. media outlets have described this nomination announcement as a turning point demonstrating K-Pop’s evolving global status. The Los Angeles Times analyzed that “the fact that multiple artists are nominated in key categories shows K-Pop is beginning to be recognized as mainstream pop music,” adding that it represents a shift where Grammy jurors are starting to evaluate K-Pop based on its artistic value rather than just its fan-driven nature. Forbes noted that “K-Pop has historically been overlooked at the Grammy Awards,” pointing out that despite being a global phenomenon over the past decade, it has not been properly represented at the music industry’s biggest event. The outlet added, “This year is different. Musicians associated with K-Pop have, for the first time, been nominated in major categories.” “APT.” is a track from Rosé’s debut studio album *Rosie* and gained worldwide popularity by dominating major music charts in South Korea and abroad. In September of this year, it won the Song of the Year award at the MTV Video Music Awards. “Golden” was performed by Korean-American creators Lee Jae, Audrey Nuuna, and Ray Aimi, who voiced the fictional girl group Huntrix in the film. It achieved the historic milestone of becoming the first K-Pop song to top both the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Official Singles Chart Top 100 simultaneously. Rosé expressed her emotions on Instagram by saying, “I can’t believe my life. I’m still trying to process everything.” Reuters reported that “both ‘APT.’ and ‘Golden’ entering the main categories have opened a new era for the Grammys,” while The New York Times noted that “whereas BTS remained nominated only in performance-related categories for three consecutive years, Rosé and ‘Golden’ have entered the core of the Grammy competition.” Hollywood Reporter emphasized that “Rosé’s nomination for Record of the Year, beyond genre-specific categories, means the Grammys have recognized K-Pop as a branch of global pop rather than a niche genre.” The Guardian commented that “‘Golden’ is the first K-Pop song to be nominated for Song of the Year, and it is rare in Grammy history for an animated soundtrack to compete in the main categories.” The final voting will take place from December 12 to January 5 of next year, with the ceremony scheduled to be held on February 1, 2026, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.