New York: Two issues might be true directly. Okay-pop is an inextricable power in international popular culture, and it has lengthy been undercelebrated at establishments like the Grammys — the place Okay-pop artists have carried out however have by no means taken house a trophy.
That would change at subsequent month’s 2026 Grammy Awards ceremony. Songs launched by Okay-pop artists — or Okay-pop-adjacent artists, extra on that later — have obtained nominations within the huge 4 classes for the primary time. Rosé, maybe finest often called one-fourth of the juggernaut lady group Blackpink, is the primary Okay-pop artist to ever obtain a nomination within the document of the 12 months area for “APT.,” her megahit with Grammys’ favourite Bruno Mars.
The music of the 12 months class additionally options Okay-pop nominees for the primary time. “APT.” will go head-to-head with the fictional lady group HUNTR/X’s “Golden,” carried out by Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami from the “KPop Demon Hunters” soundtrack.
And the lady group Katseye, the mind little one of HYBE — the leisure firm behind Okay-pop sensation BTS and numerous different worldwide acts — customary within the picture of the Okay-pop idol system, has been nominated for finest new artist.
Is that this a historic second for Okay-pop? It depends upon who you ask.
Areum Jeong, assistant professor of Korean Research at Arizona State College and creator of “Okay-pop Fandom: Performing Deokhu from the Nineteen Nineties to Immediately” says the vast majority of these nominations strike her extra as “a de-territorialized, hybrid concept of Okay-pop,” as an alternative of a recognition of Okay-pop.
Whereas Rosé “was recruited and educated underneath the Okay-pop system, and whereas ‘APT.’ does comprise some motifs from the Korean consuming sport,” Jeong says, “the music doesn’t really feel like a localized Okay-pop manufacturing. … Identical with Katseye, who was educated and produced underneath HYBE however marketed extra towards Western followers and listeners.”
Jeong says that each “APT.” and Katseye’s “Gabriela” — each of which is able to go head-to-head with “Golden” within the pop duo/group efficiency class — “appear much less Okay-pop than different Okay-pop songs that would have been nominated through the years.”
She argues the identical is true for the music of “Kpop Demon Hunters.” “It is extremely much like ‘APT.’ in that it takes inspiration and motif from Korean tradition,” the place “Okay-pop serves as an concept, a jumping-off level, or a motif, creating alternate options or new prospects.”
Mathieu Berbiguier, a visiting assistant professor in Korean Research at Carnegie Mellon College, factors out that these nominations differ from previous Okay-pop Grammy nominations as a result of “Golden,” “APT.” and Katseye all function “a mainstream common music issue.”
That is the connection of an enormous common Netflix movie (“Kpop Demon Hunters”), a collaboration with Bruno Mars (“APT.”), and Katseye’s worldwide membership and Netflix collection (“Pop Star Academy: Katseye”), respectively.
“It tells you that Okay-pop is just not thought of as one thing area of interest anymore,” he says. “Now, after we take into consideration pop music basically, we additionally consider Okay-pop as a part of it.”
Bernie Cho, trade skilled and president of the South Korean company, the DFSB Kollective, agrees that there’s a global, mainstream attraction to the nominees.
“All of the nominees symbolize a kind of post-idol Okay-pop, within the sense that Rosé, the three girls of HUNTR/X and Katseye symbolize the globalized model of Okay-pop, the place the ‘Okay’ may be very a lot there, however some individuals may argue it’s silent. The songs will not be essentially for Korea, by Korea, from Korea, simply type of past Korea,” he says. “It’s a celebration and testomony to how various and dynamic Okay-pop has grow to be.”
Why are these acts being acknowledged now? “For years, the Recording Academy has snubbed Okay-pop acts which have set record-breaking requirements, equivalent to BTS, Seventeen and Stray Youngsters,” argues Jeong. “I feel one of many major causes is that the Western world remains to be so immune to non-English lyrics.”
“It doesn’t shock me that ‘APT.’ and Katseye’s music, which primarily comprise English lyrics and appear much less Okay-pop, have been nominated,” she continues.
Berbiguier provides that “is a mirrored image of Okay-pop these days, like, traits: the truth that there’s much less and fewer Korean and increasingly English.”
There could also be a further issue at play. Tamar Herman, a music journalist and creator of the “Notes on Okay-pop” publication, says many critics and trade voices discovered 2025 to be a lackluster 12 months for brand new pop music within the U.S. — a indisputable fact that was all however confirmed in Luminate’s 2025 Mid-12 months Report, which discovered that streams of latest music had slowed in comparison with the 12 months prior, doubtlessly as a consequence of a dearth of megahits dominating the charts.
“Sure, it is a huge second for Okay-pop, however it’s so overdue, these recognitions are extra of an indication of how poorly the music trade within the U.S. did this 12 months that we’re wanting externally,” she says.
She argues that acknowledgment of Korean leisure from U.S. leisure industries is extra symbolic of U.S. cultural dominance slipping than “Okay-pop being actually good, as a result of Okay-pop has been actually good for a extremely very long time,” she says. “That is all recognition of simply international storytelling enchancment, international taste-making enchancment.”
“I do not wish to diminish it,” she provides. “These are all universally pleasant, accessible, good pop songs.”
And in the event that they weren’t, they would not join.
“It’s totally apparent that they’re not simply performers. They’re artists. They’re singers. They’re songwriters,” says Cho.
Will a Okay-pop artist win a Grammy for the primary time this 12 months? The jury remains to be out.
“I feel it’s not even a matter of if or when. It’s going to be who and what number of,” says Cho.
Others are much less committal. “It is exhausting to foretell,” says Berbiguier. “For me, it is extra potential that ‘Golden’ will get one.”
“Sure and no,” provides Herman. For her, it depends upon an evolving and fluid definition of Okay-pop. In spite of everything, HUNTR/X is a fictional lady group from an animated movie that didn’t debut by way of the Okay-pop music trade system. Would a victory for his or her music “Golden” imply a victory of Okay-pop? That is a matter of opinion.
