"First Grammy Win for K-pop"...Rosé, 'Golden' and KATSEYE Make Historic Bid in Major Categories

[Financial News] This year’s Grammy Awards mark a milestone, as K-pop steps beyond genre boundaries to compete on the main stage in the major categories.
At the 68th Grammy Awards, held on the afternoon of the 1st (local time) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Huntrix’s global hit and Netflix animation OST "Golden" and "APT." by Blackpink’s Rosé and pop star Bruno Mars are being cited as strong contenders in the general fields for Song of the Year and Record of the Year.
It is the first time a K-pop track has been nominated in the Grammys’ general fields, which are considered the main awards, and also the first time a female K-pop artist has been recognized in these categories.
Meanwhile, "Golden" was announced as the winner in the Best Song Written for Visual Media category at the Grammy Awards’ pre-telecast ceremony, making it the "first K-pop song ever to win a Grammy." This award goes to the songwriters, and on the day, EJAE, Teddy Park, 24, and the production team Idio (Lee Yu-han, Kwak Joong-gyu, Nam Hee-dong), who all worked on "Golden," shared the honor.

Among the Grammys’ major categories, Album of the Year is considered the most prestigious, seen as the highest honor representing the year in music. Record of the Year focuses on recording and production excellence, while Song of the Year evaluates songwriting, including composition and lyrics.
This is the first time since BTS that a K-pop act has been nominated at the Grammy Awards. Rosé earned nominations with "APT." for Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, the latter being the category in which BTS (Bangtan Boys) was nominated three years in a row from the 63rd to the 65th ceremonies.
"Golden" is nominated for Song of the Year, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Song Written for Visual Media, and, via the David Guetta remix version, Best Remixed Recording. In addition, the OST is up for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media, giving "KPop Demon Hunters" a total of five nominations.
Hybe’s U.S.–Korea joint girl group KATSEYE has been nominated for Best New Artist and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Formed through the audition program "The Debut: Dream Academy" and debuting last year as a six-member team, KATSEYE has charted in the U.S. and U.K. with tracks like "Gnarly" and "Gabriela," and now, in just their second year, they are contenders in two Grammy categories.
The musical "Maybe Happy Ending," which won the Tony Awards’ Best Musical last year, has been nominated for Best Musical Theater Album.

Foreign media have described Huntrix’s "Golden" as a symbolic case of K-pop-based content breaking into the U.S. pop mainstream. Despite being an animation OST, the track is seen as having both strong songwriting and significant cultural impact. Prediction site Gold Derby has named "Golden" a leading contender for Song of the Year, noting that it continues to rank near the top in voting-panel prediction data.
The British daily The Guardian also singled out "Golden" as a strong Song of the Year contender, praising both "the symbolism of K-pop-based IP being discussed as a main-category nominee at a major U.S. music awards" and "the fact that it functioned not just as an OST but as a standalone hit pop single."
Rosé and Bruno Mars’s "APT." is being hailed as one of the defining global hit singles of the year. Reuters has listed the track as a leading candidate for Record of the Year, arguing that its broad popular reach and its recording and production quality align well with Grammy standards.
The Guardian pointed to the song’s "addictive hook and clear sonic identity" as key strengths, while Entertainment Weekly wrote that "its polished production and Bruno Mars’s involvement have given it a Grammy-friendly voting base." The outlet also noted that if "APT." wins Song of the Year, it could become the first bilingual track ever to take that prize.

A central storyline at this year’s Grammy Awards is the changing face of the general field nominees. Songs that combine strong global streaming performance with cultural impact have entered the race, shifting the traditional U.S. pop–centric landscape and creating a contest in which Latin music, hip-hop, and K-pop-based content all compete in the main categories.
This year’s Grammys also carry the potential to rewrite history on several fronts. In particular, the Album of the Year category, the most prestigious of the major awards, is seeing challenges that test the awards’ long-standing conventions and boundaries.
The most closely watched case is Bad Bunny. His album "Debí Tirar Más Fotos," released in Spanish, would become the first Spanish-language album ever to win Album of the Year in Grammy history if it takes the prize.
Hip-hop is also at an important turning point. Kendrick Lamar is aiming to become the first solo hip-hop rapper to win Album of the Year with "GNX."
Lady Gaga’s trajectory is drawing attention as well. Although she has long been one of the defining stars of pop music, she has yet to win in any of the Grammys’ "Big Four" general field categories.
At the 68th Grammy Awards, Rosé, who is vying for three awards including those in the major categories, is scheduled to perform on stage. Performances are also planned from KATSEYE, fellow Best New Artist nominees such as Olivia Dean and Sombr, and stars including Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, and Sabrina Carpenter.
jashin@fnnews.com Shin Jin-ah Reporter