Rosé and KPop Demon Hunters Make History as First K-POP Artists to Advance to Main Grammy Categories

The historic achievements of K-POP at the Grammy Awards, the most prestigious music ceremony in the United States, are attracting widespread attention. The list of nominees for the 68th Grammy Awards, announced on the 7th (local time), featured Rosé of BLACKPINK and the Netflix animated series KPop Demon Hunters in significant numbers. Rosé submitted nominations for three categories—Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance—with her hit song “APT” performed alongside Bruno Mars. Notably, Rosé became the first K-POP female artist to enter the four major categories known as the “Big 4” at the Grammy Awards: General Fields, which includes Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best New Artist. This marks the first time K-POP has appeared in these categories as classified by the Recording Academy. “Golden,” the OST for KPop Demon Hunters, was also nominated for five categories, including Song of the Year. In addition to these, it received nominations for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Song Written for Visual Media, Best Remixed Recording, and Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media among film soundtrack categories. HYBE’s Korean-American girl group KATSEYE was nominated for Best New Artist. International media outlets have described the results of this Grammy Awards as recognition of K-POP’s entry into the mainstream. The Los Angeles Times, in an article titled “Grammy 2026: K-POP Finally Nominated in Major Categories,” analyzed that “the large number of artists nominated in key categories shows that K-POP is beginning to be recognized as part of mainstream pop music” and added that it represents a turning point as Grammy jurors have started to evaluate K-POP based on its artistic value rather than its fandom-driven nature. Forbes, an American economic magazine, stated, “Despite being a global phenomenon over the past 10 years, K-POP unfortunately was not properly represented at the biggest events in the music industry. This year, musicians associated with K-POP have made history by being nominated in major categories for the first time.” The BBC in the UK reported that “Rosé, a member of the highly successful girl group BLACKPINK, is the first K-POP idol to be nominated in the Grammy Awards’ Big 4 categories.” Rosé’s “APT” was written and composed inspired by a Korean drinking game and has captivated audiences worldwide. In September, she became the first K-POP artist to win “Song of the Year” at the American music awards show MTV VMA. The song reached as high as third place on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 main singles chart and stayed there for 45 weeks, the longest duration in K-POP history. “Golden” also set a record in K-POP history. It topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for 8 weeks and held the first position on the UK Official Singles Chart Top 100 for 9 weeks. This is the first time a K-POP song has dominated both major charts in the United States and the United Kingdom. Gold Derby noted, “A new record was set with two K-POP songs—‘APT’ and ‘Golden’—being included among the eight nominees for Grammy Song of the Year.” Some analysts suggest that this change may be due to increased diversity among the members of the Recording Academy. On the 3rd, the Recording Academy announced that it had accepted over 3,800 new music creators and professionals as members, with half of them under 39 years old, 58% being people of color, and 35% being women. Harvey Mason Jr., the CEO of the Recording Academy, said, “This year’s new members reflect the vitality of today’s more diverse music industry.” The 68th Grammy Awards are scheduled to be held on February 1, 2026, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.