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K-Pop Artists May Make History With Grammy 2026 Nominations

Nominations for the 68th Grammy Awards have been announced. Several K-pop artists, including one global girl group, received nominations in top categories. 

The Grammy Awards are considered the most prestigious in the music industry. Unlike other awards, the Grammys prioritize artistic quality over commercial performance. A nomination alone is a significant career milestone. 

Until this year, BTS was the only K-pop group to have received a Grammy nomination three years in a row (2021, 2022, and 2023). The nominations this year mark the first time in nearly 20 years that a girl group's song has been nominated in the Song of the Year category. 

Following its chart-topping film and music success earlier this year, K-Pop Demon Hunters earned nominations for its song "Golden," performed by the fictional girl group HUNTR/X, in the Song of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance categories. Performed by artists EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami, the song is currently against Lady Gaga's "Abracadabra," Doechii's "Anxiety," ROSÉ and Bruno Mars' "APT.," Bad Bunny's "DtMF," Kendrick Lamar and SZA's "Luther," Sabrina Carpenter's "Manchild," and Billie Eilish's "Wildflower." 

According to Rolling Stone, K-Pop Demon Hunters also earned a nomination for Best Song Written for a Visual Media ("Golden").

HUNTR/X's "Golden" sits at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, securing 19 weeks on the list and counting. The song currently reigns over the Global 200, where the song has held the No. 1 position for 19 weeks straight. 

KATSEYE, the LA-based global girl group, has been nominated for Best New Artist and Best Pop Duo/Group. Their album Beautiful Chaos debuted as No. 4 on the Billboard 200, with the second single "Gabriela" securing the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. This year, KATSEYE faces off against Olivia Dean, The Marías, Addison Rae, sombr, Leon Thomas, Alex Warren, and Lola Young.

According to ABC News, seeing a girl group nominated in a major Grammy category is rare, let alone a global girl group.

The nominations for HUNTR/X's "Golden" and KATSEYE's "Gabriela" mark the first time a girl group has been nominated in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category since the award's creation in 2012. Both songs are up against Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande's "Defying Gravity," ROSÉ and Bruno Mars' "APT.," and SZA and Kendrick Lamar's "30 for 30." 

BLACKPINK singer ROSÉ has earned a nomination for Song of the Year and Record of the Year alongside Bruno Mars for their song "APT." The duo is also nominated in the Pop Best Duo/Group Performance category. 

[Picture of Bruno Mars and ROSÉ, picture above leads to source.]

"APT." has been popular since its release in October 2024. The song debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and rose to No. 3, where it remained on the charts for 45 weeks––the longest run for any K-pop artist. "APT." then rose to No. 1 on the Billboard Global chart, where it peaked for 54 weeks.

Earlier this year, ROSÉ and Mars also won an MTV Video Music Award for Song of the Year, another first for a K-pop soloist. 

Any of these women could potentially make Grammy history if they take home a Golden Gramophone Award. 

The 68th Grammy Awards will be held on February 1, 2026, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. For more information, refer to the Grammy Awards website.