BLACKPINK’s Rosé, Netflix’s 'K-Pop Demon Hunters,' and HYBE’s global girl group KATSEYE have been named among the final nominees for major categories at the 68th Grammy Awards, heightening anticipation for what could be K-pop’s first-ever Grammy win.
The Recording Academy, which organizes the Grammy Awards, held a live-streamed event on November 8 at 1 AM KST (November 7 local time) to announce the final nominations for the 68th ceremony, set to take place in 2026. This year’s list highlighted the growing global presence of K-pop.
Rosé’s “APT.,” her explosive collaboration with global star Bruno Mars, released in October last year, earned nominations in two of the four major categories — Record of the Year and Song of the Year. The track was also named a finalist for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, bringing Rosé’s total nominations to three.
Meanwhile, “Golden,” an OST track from Netflix’s animated feature 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' performed by the in-film K-pop girl group HUNTR/X, was also nominated for Song of the Year alongside Rosé’s “APT.” The track further secured nods in Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Remixed Recording, and Best Song Written for Visual Media. In addition, the K-Pop Demon Hunters OST album was nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media, earning the project a total of five nominations.
HYBE’s rising global girl group KATSEYE made their mark as finalists for Best New Artist, one of the Grammys’ most prestigious honors. Their song “Gabriela” also landed a nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Notably, in this category, three out of the five nominees — Rosé, HUNTR/X (K-Pop Demon Hunters), and KATSEYE — represent K-pop, signaling a strong possibility of the genre’s first Grammy victory.
The 68th Grammy Awards will consider albums, singles, and recordings released between late August 2024 and late August 2025. The final nominee list unveiled today was determined through the first-round voting held over 12 days in October.
The ceremony will take place on February 1, 2026 (local time) at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Historically, South Korean artists have earned limited but notable recognition at the Grammys. Renowned soprano Sumi Jo won Best Opera Recording at the 35th Grammys in 1993. Sound engineer Hwang Byung Joon later took home Best Classical Engineered Recording at the 54th Grammys in 2012 and Best Choral Performance at the 58th Grammys in 2016.
Although BTS were nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for three consecutive years from 2021 to 2023, they narrowly missed securing a win.
With Rosé’s “APT.", K-Pop Demon Hunters’ “Golden,” and KATSEYE all nominated in key categories this year, anticipation is building that the 2026 Grammy Awards could finally mark a historic first for K-pop.
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