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BLACKPINK’s Rosé delivers her acceptance speech for the Music of the Yr award for “APT.” on the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Enviornment in Elmont, N.Y., Sept. 7, 2025. Reuters-Yonhap
With the 68th Grammy Awards days away, anticipation is constructing over whether or not Ok-pop can lastly break by on the ceremony the place the style has but to safe a win, regardless of years of nominations and rising affect.
Set for Sunday at Crypto.com Enviornment in Los Angeles, the awards characteristic Ok-pop artists nominated throughout a number of classes. Main the cost is “Golden,” the breakout monitor from Netflix’s smash hit animated movie “KPop Demon Hunters,” nominated for Music of the Yr, Greatest Pop Duo/Group Efficiency and Greatest Music Written for Visible Media.
A remix of “Golden” by French DJ David Guetta is nominated for Greatest Remixed Recording, whereas the movie’s complete soundtrack is up for Greatest Compilation Soundtrack for Visible Media, bringing the mission’s complete to 5 Grammy nods.
Rosé of Ok-pop lady group BLACKPINK can be within the highlight for “APT.,” her collaborative monitor with pop star Bruno Mars. The track earned nominations for Music of the Yr, Document of the Yr and Greatest Pop Duo/Group Efficiency, inserting it in direct competitors with “Golden” in two classes.
HYBE Labels’ international lady group KATSEYE additionally acquired nominations for Greatest New Artist and Greatest Pop Duo/Group Efficiency, competing for Greatest New Artist towards nominees together with Olivia Dean, sombr and Alex Warren. As one of many Grammys’ prestigious Huge 4, or 4 Normal Discipline classes — alongside Music, Document and Album of the Yr — Greatest New Artist locations KATSEYE among the many first Ok‑pop acts ever nominated in a prime‑tier Grammy subject.
A win by any of the nominees would mark the primary Grammy victory for the Ok-pop style.
From left, Audrey Nuna, EJAE and Rei Ami, winners of the Greatest Unique Music for “Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters,” pose within the press room in the course of the 83rd Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif., Jan. 11. AFP-Yonhap
The place Ok-pop has finest shot
Ok-pop’s historical past with the Grammys dates again to 2012, when Psy’s “Gangnam Type” was nominated for Greatest Music Video. Ok-pop juggernaut BTS later acquired nominations for Greatest Pop Duo/Group Efficiency from 2021 to 2023, however didn’t safe a win.
Nevertheless, business observers say this yr’s nominations counsel a notable shift.
Each “Golden” and “APT.” are credited with strengthening Ok-pop’s place within the mainstream music market. “Golden” spent a complete of eight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Scorching 100 and not too long ago received Greatest Unique Music on the Golden Globe Awards and the Critics Alternative Awards. “APT.” reached No. 3 on the Scorching 100 and received Music of the Yr on the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards.
Observers additionally notice modifications within the Recording Academy, whose members vote on nominees and winners. Of its roughly 15,000 members, the Academy added 3,800 music creators and professionals this yr. Half are below the age of 39, 58 % are individuals of shade and 35 % are girls.
Among the many members are HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk, all seven BTS members, Ok-pop producers Pdogg, Zico and Bumzu, two members of Seventeen, one member of Tomorrow X Collectively (TXT) and all six members of KATSEYE.
HYBE Labels’ international lady group KATSEYE poses after profitable the MTV Push Efficiency of the Yr Award for “Contact” in the course of the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Enviornment in Elmont, N.Y., Sept. 7, 2025. Captured from X (previously Twitter)
Popular culture critic Lim Hee-yun stated the nominees’ U.S. business backing may additionally play a task.
“‘Golden,’ ‘APT.’ and KATSEYE’s releases had been distributed in the US by Atlantic Data, Republic Data and Geffen Data, respectively,” Lim stated. “These are established American labels with long-standing affect.”
Lim added that the songs’ musical fashion and language additionally align carefully with U.S. pop requirements.
“Except for a small variety of Korean lyrics, the songs are largely in English and comply with American pop conventions,” Lim stated. “That makes them simpler for U.S.-based voters to acknowledge as home market releases.”
Music critic Kim Do-heon instructed an area media outlet that Ok-pop’s strongest likelihood lies within the Greatest Pop Duo/Group Efficiency class.
“There are three Ok-pop songs nominated in that class, whereas the remaining contenders will not be notably robust chart performers,” Kim stated. “I believe ‘Golden’ stands out, particularly provided that it reached No. 1 on the Billboard Scorching 100.”
Nevertheless, he additionally famous that soundtrack songs have not often secured prime Grammy honors prior to now.
Rosé’s “APT.,” which went viral for incorporating lyrics from a well-liked Korean ingesting sport, was additionally a significant international hit, however its launch in October 2024 means it might have misplaced momentum in comparison with more moderen contenders.
As of Thursday, U.S.-based prediction market Polymarket gave “Golden” a 70 % likelihood of profitable Music of the Yr and a 57 % likelihood of taking Greatest Pop Duo/Group Efficiency. “APT.” adopted with a 41 % likelihood within the latter class.
Grammy trophies sit within the press room in the course of the sixtieth Annual Grammy Awards in New York, Jan. 28, 2018. AFP-Yonhap
Opinions had been extra divided concerning the popularity within the Normal Discipline classes.
Tradition critic Jung Min-jae stated in a YouTube interview that the Normal Discipline stays difficult on account of long-standing traditions and voting preferences, although he additionally agreed that Ok-pop has a sensible likelihood within the Greatest Pop Duo/Group Efficiency class.
Jung additionally cautioned that particular person Grammy wins wouldn’t essentially sign full mainstream acceptance of Ok-pop in Western markets.
“Recognition on the Grammys displays the inventive benefit and affect of particular songs and artists,” Jung stated. “The method of Ok-pop establishing itself on equal footing with mainstream American pop remains to be ongoing.”
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