Koreans have a vast contribution in the field of music from time immemorial and have never really needed western validation for their prowess. However, in the modern era, many Koreans and K-pop artists have emerged from the glass-ceiling that is the Western Music scene and have represented Korea and Korean music at the Grammys.
The first ever Korean to win at the Grammys is Madam Sumi Jo, OSI who is a lyric coloratura soprano. She studied opera at Seoul National University and went on to train in Rome, wherein, she would go on to win the Grammy Award for the Best Opera Recording in 1993 for her rendition of Die Frau ohne Schatten by Richard Strauss. Moreover she would go on to be nominated 3 other times as well, setting a springboard for Koreans at the Grammys.
In 2019, at the peak of the Hallyu Wave, with artists like BLACKPINK, SEVENTEEN, ITZY, i-dle, Stray Kids, TWICE at a significant point in their careers, BTS became the first K-pop act in history to present at the Grammys.
At the 63rd Grammys (2021), BTS became the first K-pop artist to be nominated for a Grammy, wherein they were nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for Dynamite. As of 2025, BTS hold 5 Grammy nominations, the most for any Korean act.
In the 68th Grammys, we see a tide shifting in favor of K-pop. In these 2026 nominations, ROSÉ, a member of the immensely popular group BLACKPINK, received 3 Grammy nominations, making her the first K-pop Act, first K-pop soloist, second female Korean singer, and first female K-pop act, to be nominated for the “general field” major categories—one of which was Record of the Year!
What is also notable is the nomination of HUNTR/X (EJAE, AUDREY NUNA and REI AMI)‘s GOLDEN for Record of the Year! This means, 2 K-pop songs were nominated for this prestigious category within one year! HUNTR/X and K-POP DEMON HUNTERS have won in total, 3 Grammy nominations.
Some may say they are not K-pop, some may disagree, but the K-pop adjacent group KATSEYE, with their Korean member, YOONCHAE, have also secured 2 Grammy nominations at the 68th Grammys, one of them for the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for Gabriela, which goes to show the increased representation of K-pop and Koreans at the Grammys. With the barriers for K-pop reducing in the global context, K-pop fans are eager to see our favorite K-pop artists bag Grammys this year and are hopeful for wider nominations for next year!