The 68th Grammy Awards featured K-pop groups and K-pop-adjacent releases across major categories, though none ultimately took home trophies. In the ceremony, Rosé and Bruno Mars’ collaboration “APT” fell short against Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther” in the Record of the Year category.
Meanwhile, one of the night’s most discussed moments came when HYBE’s global girl group KATSEYE lost Best New Artist to British soul singer Olivia Dean.
However, it was “Golden,” performed by the fictional K-pop group, Huntrix of the animated film K-pop Demon Hunters (Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami), that was able to bag the golden gramophone from the Best Song Written for Visual Media award. The win makes it the only K-pop release to take home a Grammy.
This wasn’t the first time a K-pop act lost at the Grammys. BTS was nominated in Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for their singles “Dynamite” in 2021 and “Butter” in 2022, but was not able to win the prize for either.
Online reaction from K-pop fans ranged from disappointment to resignation, with many noting how competitive this year’s Grammy Awards categories were across genres. While fan communities continue to mobilize around nominations, the Grammy voting remains centered on industry peer review rather than public momentum.
K-pop’s success often registers through cultural reach, creating a natural disconnect with awards systems. The culture operates differently from those quirks. Traditionally, the genre emphasizes group performance, choreography, visual world-building, and sustained fan engagement on a global scale.
