K-pop stars including BTS, BLACKPINK and ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ dominate U.S. Kids’ Choice Awards nominations

[Financial News] Global supergroups BTS and BLACKPINK, along with other leading K-pop acts, have landed nominations in numerous major categories at the prestigious U.S. pop-culture awards ceremony, the 2026 Kids’ Choice Awards.
According to the list of nominees announced on the 8th (local time) by U.S. children’s entertainment channel Nickelodeon, BTS received nominations in three categories, including Favorite Music Group/Duo. The group, which has been on a world tour since April, was also nominated for Favorite Album and Favorite Song for its fifth studio album, ‘ARIRANG,’ and the track ‘SWIM,’ respectively.
BTS, which holds the record for the most wins after being named Favorite Music Group for four consecutive years from 2020 to 2023, is nominated again in the same category this year and is aiming for its fifth trophy overall. The group is currently performing on its world tour at Estadio San Marcos in Lima, Peru, on the 7th and 9th–10th.

BLACKPINK is also nominated alongside BTS in the Favorite Music Group/Duo category, putting the two acts in competition for the trophy. K-pop solo artists and collaborative projects also made a strong showing. BLACKPINK’s Rosé was nominated for Favorite Female Artist, while Jennie was nominated for Favorite Music Collaboration for ‘Dracula,’ a song released in collaboration with Australian band Tame Impala. KATSEYE, the Korean-American global girl group formed jointly by HYBE and Geffen Records, was nominated for Favorite Female Breakout Artist/Group.

The rise of K-pop-themed Netflix animated film ‘KPop Demon Hunters,’ which became a global hit last year, has also drawn attention. The film was nominated for Favorite Animated Movie, and its theme song, ‘Golden,’ was nominated for Favorite Song from a Movie. Ahn Hyo-seop and Arden Cho, who voiced protagonists Jinwoo and Rumi, were nominated for the male and female voice performance awards in an animated movie, respectively. Arden Cho, Ji-young Yoo and May Hong, who portrayed the fictional girl group HUNTR/X in the film, were nominated in the newly introduced Favorite On-Screen Duo/Trio category.
Meanwhile, U.S. pop star Taylor Swift led this year’s nominees with nominations in six categories, followed by Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter with five each. The 2026 Kids’ Choice Awards will be held on the 14th of next month at Television City in Los Angeles, hosted by pop star Alex Warren, and will be broadcast live on CBS and Nickelodeon. 

[email protected] Park Ji-hyun Reporter