Grammys 2026: K-pop finally gets its major-category nominations

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For years, the Grammys have shown some interest in K-pop, particularly after the rise of BTS, but usually didn’t nominate K-pop artists for their biggest awards. This year is different – several artists connected to K-pop are nominated in major categories, signaling that the Recording Academy now recognizes K-pop as a significant part of mainstream pop music.

Although “KPop Demon Hunters” and its lead single, “Golden,” are technically music created for a fictional band, their song nomination is a significant achievement. This caps off a fantastic year for the animated group Huntr/x, who also received nominations for pop duo/group performance, best remixed recording, and song written for visual media. Regardless of what happens next for the artists behind the song – Ejae, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami, and Mark Sonnenblick – this marks an important moment for K-pop’s presence in the Grammys’ major categories.

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We spent two days filming Katseye, a K-pop group on the rise, for a new Netflix documentary. We shot footage during seven different sessions to capture their story.

Rosé isn’t the only K-pop star finding success on the Billboard charts. Her collaboration with Bruno Mars on the song “Apt.” was a huge hit, earning four nominations – for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. The upbeat, Motown-inspired track peaked at number three on the Hot 100 and was definitely one of the year’s most popular songs.

These achievements demonstrate the incredible potential of Blackpink’s members as solo artists, extending their influence beyond music into areas like television, major music festivals, the Billboard Hot 100, and now, even Grammy Award contention.

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Blackpink’s Lisa has performed at Coachella – first in the Sahara Tent in 2019, and more recently on the main stage in 2023. But now, she’s confidently forging her own path as a solo artist.

For the first time, a K-pop group has been recognized with an artist nomination: Katseye. This multilingual girl group joins Addison Rae, Lola Young, and Sombr. Katseye was created with a global vision of K-pop, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of its members – they come from the United States, the Philippines, South Korea, and Switzerland. They also trained with Hybe, the company behind BTS, in the United States.

The album “Beautiful Chaos” reached the Top 5 on the Billboard 200 chart, and their song “Gabriela” was nominated for a Grammy as a pop duo/group performance. This shows the project was successful and recognized by Academy voters for its own merits.

In the past, Grammy voters have often seen K-pop as driven more by passionate fans than by musical quality. However, this year’s nominations suggest they are now evaluating the genre like any other form of popular music, which is a positive sign for its future consideration by the Academy.

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2025-11-07 21:31