ROSÉ and Netflix's 'KPop Demon Hunters' Break Grammy Barrier with Historic General Field Nominations

BLACKPINK's ROSÉ and the Netflix animated film KPop Demon Hunters have become the first K-pop acts nominated in Grammy general field categories, ending decades of industry exclusion.

The Recording Academy announced nominations Friday for the 68th Grammy Awards, placing both acts in Song of the Year-one of music's most prestigious categories-alongside Best Pop Duo/Group Performance slots that Korean artists have occupied three times in a row but never won.

ROSÉ Scores Three Nominations

ROSÉ's "APT." featuring Bruno Mars earned Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance nominations. Released last October, the track has dominated global charts with over one billion Spotify streams in 100 days and 19 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.

She's the first female K-pop soloist and first Korean act nominated in both Record and Song of the Year.

'Golden' Leads Five-Nomination Haul

KPop Demon Hunters earned five total Grammy nominations. The breakout anthem "Golden"-performed by HUNTR/X (EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI)-secured four nominations: Song of the Year, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Song Written for Visual Media, and Best Remixed Recording (David Guetta remix). The full soundtrack received a Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media nomination.

EJAE, the Korean-American songwriter who wrote "Golden," became the first Korean-American female songwriter nominated for Song of the Year. The track spent eight weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 after the film's June release.

KATSEYE Joins Breakthrough

HYBE's global girl group KATSEYE earned Best New Artist and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance (for "Gabriela") nominations, marking another first for K-pop-influenced acts in major categories.

K-Pop's Grammy Struggles

BTS remains the only K-pop act previously nominated at the Grammys, earning Best Pop Duo/Group Performance nods three consecutive years (2021-2023) for "Dynamite," "Butter," and "My Universe" with Coldplay. They never won.

This year's nominations place three K-pop acts in five Best Pop Duo/Group Performance slots: ROSÉ's "APT.," "Golden," and KATSEYE's "Gabriela" compete against Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande's "Defying Gravity" and SZA with Kendrick Lamar's "30 For 30."

Only two Koreans have won Grammys: soprano Sumi Jo (1993) and recording engineer Hwang Byung-joon (2012, 2016)-both in specialized categories.

What Changed

Forbes noted that K-pop has been "a global phenomenon" yet "overlooked by the Grammys" until now. The publication called the "APT." and "Golden" nominations "historic but not surprising" given their undeniable commercial and cultural impact.

KPop Demon Hunters became Netflix's most-watched title ever with 325 million views. "Golden" achieved the rare feat of placing four soundtrack songs simultaneously in the Billboard Hot 100 top ten.

The 68th Grammy Awards ceremony takes place February 1, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Final voting begins December 12.