Rosé and “KPop Demon Hunters”’s “Golden” Nominate for First K-Pop Grammy Main Awards; Both Enter “Song of the Year” and “Record of the Year” Categories

K-pop has made history by becoming the first genre to receive nominations for main awards (General Fields) at the Grammy Awards, the most prestigious honor in American music. Rosé of BLACKPINK and the theme song “Golden” from Netflix’s animated series KPop Demon Hunters have established a new milestone in K-pop history. According to a announcement by the Recording Academy on the 7th (local time), Rosé was nominated for three categories, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year, for her hit collaboration with Bruno Mars titled “APT.” She also received a nomination in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category. “Golden,” the OST for KPop Demon Hunters, received even broader recognition. In addition to being nominated for Song of the Year, it was nominated in five other categories: Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Song Written for Visual Media, Best Remixed Recording for a Non-Classical Song (for David Guetta’s remix), and Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media. “Golden” was written and composed by EJAE, a singer-songwriter who was once a Trainee at SM Entertainment, and features vocals from American singers Audrey Nuuna and Ray Aimee. Teddy and 24 from The Black Label contributed to the song’s production. HYBE’s Korean-American girl group KATSEYE also added to K-pop’s success by being nominated for Best New Artist and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, marking the first time a K-pop female artist has received a Grammy main award nomination. Rosé’s “APT” was released in October of last year and became a global hit. With its catchy repetitive chorus, upbeat melody, and successful collaboration with Bruno Mars, the song reached as high as third place on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 main singles chart and stayed on the chart for 45 weeks, setting a record for the longest run by a K-pop song. Rosé was the first K-pop star to win the MTV VMA Song of the Year award in September last year. “Golden” is considered one of the biggest hits worldwide thanks to the film’s massive success. Its memorable melody and powerful high notes earned praise from music fans, and it became the first K-pop song to top both the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks and the UK Official Singles Chart Top 100 for nine weeks. The significance of these nominations goes beyond mere numbers. Unlike previous instances where BTS was nominated in the same categories for three consecutive years without winning, this marks a turning point where K-pop is recognized in Grammy’s highest categories. It is also historic that two out of the eight nominees for Song of the Year are K-pop songs—“APT” and “Golden.” American media have described these results as a signal of K-pop’s mainstream acceptance. The Los Angeles Times analyzed it as a turning point showing that the Grammy Awards are beginning to evaluate K-pop based on its artistic value rather than just its fan-driven popularity, while Forbes stated that although the nominations for “APT” and “Golden” are historic, they are not surprising, adding that these two songs were the most successful during the period eligible for Grammy nomination. The Grammy Awards have been held annually since 1959, with awards presented by the Recording Academy, a group of music experts who prioritize artistic merit over commercial success. Winning an award is highly competitive, but even being nominated is considered a great honor. Among Koreans, soprano Cho Su-mi (in 1993) and record engineer Hwang Byung-joon (in 2012 and 2016) have won Grammy Awards. The 68th Grammy Awards will take place on February 1 next year at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, USA, with the final voting conducted by the Recording Academy from December 12 to January 5 of the following year.