BLACKPINK's Rosé Wins International Song of the Year at 2026 BRIT Awards — A First for K-Pop
On February 28, BLACKPINK's Rosé walked off the stage at Manchester's Co-op Live with a BRIT Award in hand - something no K-pop artist had ever done before.
She won International Song of the Year at the 46th BRIT Awards for "APT.," her October 2024 collaboration with Bruno Mars. The category also featured Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, Chappell Roan, Huntr/X, and several other major international acts. Rosé beat them all.
"Oh my God, it is such an honor to be receiving this award in front of so many talented and admirable musicians in the UK," she said onstage, visibly emotional, wearing an asymmetric black gown. She turned to her absent collaborator: "Bruno, I'm receiving this award on behalf of both of us. Thank you so much for everything, for being my biggest mentor and best friend." She closed by calling out her bandmates - "Jennie, Jisoo and Lisa, I love you guys so much. Thank you for always inspiring me" - and thanked The Black Label founder and producer Teddy.
What "APT." Has Done
The song pairs bright pop harmonies with an addictive refrain inspired by a popular Korean drinking game. It logged a 45-week run on the Billboard Hot 100 - the longest ever for a K-pop track - where it peaked at No. 3, and reached No. 2 on the UK Official Singles Chart, remaining there for more than a year.
Before Manchester, "APT." had already cleared every major Anglo-American prize short of a Grammy. In September 2025, it earned Rosé two trophies at the MTV Video Music Awards, including Song of the Year. It was additionally nominated for Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the Grammy Awards, but did not secure a trophy. The IFPI also ranked it the top global single of 2025 - the first K-pop track to reach that position on the organization's annual chart.
K-Pop's Long Road to a BRIT Trophy
The BRITs have been slow to recognize K-pop despite the genre's commercial reach. BTS received nominations for International Group of the Year in 2021 and 2022, followed by BLACKPINK in 2023. In 2024, Korean DJ Peggy Gou was shortlisted for International Song of the Year but went home empty-handed. Rosé is the first K-pop artist - as a solo act and as a group member - to convert a BRIT nomination into a trophy.
The 46th ceremony was itself notable: it was the first time in the BRITs' history that the show left London, moving to Manchester's Co-op Live under a two-year deal with the BPI. Olivia Dean dominated the night, sweeping four awards including Artist of the Year and Album of the Year.
BLACKPINK's Week
The BRIT win landed three days after BLACKPINK released their third mini album Deadline on February 27 - their first full-group release in roughly three and a half years. The album sold 1,461,785 copies on its first day according to Hanteo Chart, the highest single-day figure ever recorded by a K-pop girl group. The title track "GO" topped YouTube's Worldwide Trending and Music Trending charts and reached No. 1 on iTunes album rankings in 32 countries.
For Rosé, it was a week defined by a single fact: a British trophy that no Korean artist had ever held before.
