- High Stakes for K-Pop: After being shut out last year, the global music powerhouse is vying for a historic breakthrough at the 68th Grammy Awards, with hopes pinned on numerous high-profile submissions.
- Leading the Charge: BLACKPINK’s Rosé with her Bruno Mars collaboration “APT.” and the hit track “Golden” from the Netflix film “KPop Demon Hunters” are top contenders for major awards, including Record of the Year.
- A Genre-Wide Effort: A massive wave of submissions includes solo work from members of BTS, as well as releases from top groups like Seventeen, TWICE, Stray Kids, and TXT, signaling a major push for recognition.
- Key Dates to Watch: The industry is anxiously awaiting the announcement of the final nominees on November 7, with the awards ceremony scheduled for February 1, 2026.
Will the Grammys Finally Recognize K-Pop?
As the music world turns its attention to the 68th Grammy Awards, a pressing question looms: is this the year K-pop finally breaks through? With first-round voting now complete, anticipation is at an all-time high. After years of nominations without wins and a complete shutout last year, the genre’s biggest stars have mounted their strongest campaign yet for the industry’s most prestigious honor.
The Recording Academy has long been criticized for “snubbing” K-pop, despite its undeniable global impact and commercial success. This year, however, the sheer volume and quality of submissions make the genre impossible to ignore. The eligibility period, covering releases from late 2024 to late 2025, has produced some of K-pop’s most successful records to date.
The Front-Runners: Rosé and “Golden”
Leading the pack are two powerhouse tracks competing in the coveted Record of the Year and Song of the Year categories. The first is “APT.,” the viral hit from BLACKPINK vocalist Rosé and pop superstar Bruno Mars. The song’s massive global success has also earned it submissions for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video. Rosé’s album, “Rosie,” is also in the running for Album of the Year.
Equally formidable is “Golden,” the breakout single from the popular Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters.” The track dominated the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and U.K. charts for weeks, making it a strong contender not only for the top general categories but also for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Song Written for Visual Media.
A United K-Pop Front
Beyond the two leading entries, a stunning array of K-pop royalty has entered the race, showcasing the genre’s depth and diversity. The Record of the Year category alone is flooded with submissions from K-pop’s biggest names:
- BLACKPINK’s “JUMP”
- Jennie’s “Like JENNIE”
- Lisa’s “Born Again”
- BTS member Jin’s “Don’t Say You Love Me”
- RM and Megan Thee Stallion’s “Never Play”
- J-Hope’s “Sweet Dreams”
- Seventeen’s “Thunder”
- TXT’s “Beautiful Strangers”
- Stray Kids’ “Walking On Water”
The competition for Album of the Year is just as fierce, with entries from Jennie, Lisa, Jin, Seventeen, TXT, and Stray Kids. In the Best New Artist category, rising groups KATSEYE, aespa, and Ateez are all vying for a nomination.
Overcoming Past Disappointments
This massive push comes after a year of significant disappointment. Despite hit solo releases from members of BTS during their military hiatus, not a single K-pop act received a nomination at the 67th Grammy Awards. This absence fueled long-standing accusations that the Recording Academy was deliberately ignoring the genre’s influence.
While BTS secured nominations for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for three consecutive years (2021-2023), they were unable to clinch a win. To date, soprano Sumi Jo and classical recording engineer Hwang Byeong-joon are the only Korean artists to have won a Grammy.
With the final nominees set to be unveiled on November 7, all eyes are on the Recording Academy. The industry and fans alike are watching to see if the 68th Grammy Awards will finally mark a historic and long-overdue turning point for K-pop on the world’s biggest musical stage. The ceremony will take place on February 1, 2026, in Los Angeles.
Image Referance: https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/k-pop/20251017/k-pop-eyes-historic-breakthrough-at-68th-grammy-awards