The Grammys revealed their nominations for their February 2026 ceremony, and K-pop showed out in a major way. This comes as a highly anticipated moment, considering that South Korean artists have been knocking on the Grammys’ door for years with very limited chances of getting an actual win. Let’s revisit some of the history South Korean artists have with the Grammys, and let’s see why 2026 could be K-pop’s first big winning night at the event.
Flashback to February 24, 1993: Soprano Sumi Jo won best opera recording, marking the first time a Korean artist earned a Grammy award. A second win came in 2012, when sound engineer Hwang Byung Joon earned a Grammy for Best Classical Engineered Recording. Then, he received the honor again in 2016 for Best Choral Performance. After these wins, the K-pop crossover had finally hit the globe, and BTS picked up nominations for Best Pop Duo or Group Performance in 2021, 2022, and 2023, but the boy group hasn’t won any awards yet. Despite the trophy still feeling out of reach, the signal of South Korean music was loud, and K-pop has clearly had a standout year with massive releases that have captured the general public’s attention.
That is why the nominations revealed on November 8 feel different: BLACKPINK’s Rosé earned nods for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Duo or Group Performance thanks to the viral hit “APT” with Bruno Mars. Similarly, “Golden” from the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack is up for Song of the Year, plus Best Pop Duo or Group Performance, Best Remixed Recording, and Best Song Written for Visual Media, with the soundtrack in Best Compilation Soundtrack.
Adding the cherry on top, K-pop-adjacent girl group, KATSEYE, was nominated for Best New Artist and competes in Best Pop Duo or Group Performance with Gabriela. While technically not a K-pop group, it was trained under HYBE Labels with the typical Korean training method focused on dancing and singing. The girl group also has a Korean member and has collaborated with other K-pop artists throughout their short discography.
This is not a cameo! With the 68th Grammys set for February 1, 2026 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, BLACKPINK’s Rosé, KPop Demon Hunters and KATSEYE might finally give K-pop its clearest runaway.