HUNTR/X GOLDEN(2025)

Since then, Korea’s Grammy wins had amounted to just one person: sound engineer Hwang Byung-jun. K-Pop icon BTS were nominated in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category for three consecutive years starting in 2021, but the trophy eluded them.

The reason is that the only non-English song to win a Big Four award was Domenico Modugno’s Volare in 1959. On the 7th, the Recording Academy announced the nominations for the 68th Grammys, signaling a shift. Rosé, featuring Bruno Mars on the track “APT.,” was nominated in three categories including Song of the Year and Record of the Year. It marks the first time a K-Pop idol has reached the Big Four finalist status in the main categories. Netflix’s anime K-Pop Demon Hunters’ OST “Golden” was named in five categories, including Song of the Year. HYBE’s Korea–U.S. joint venture girl group CatsAi was nominated for Best New Artist.

These nominations underscore the prestige of the so-called Big Four in the Grammys, with a focus on the top four awards in the Generals field. It’s notable that the example of a non-English song winning a Big Four remains Domenico Modugno’s Volare in 1959. The Grammys will take place in Los Angeles on February 1 next year. Will K-Pop’s name be called that night? Will BTS finally cross the final threshold they could not surmount before?