The 2025 Grammy nominations were unveiled, and the complete exclusion of K-pop acts caused an uproar.
On Friday, the complete list was announced with Beyoncé leading the pack with 11 nominations, surpassing Taylor Swift and other notable artists.
Despite critically acclaimed submissions from major K-pop groups like BTS, BLACKPINK, Stray Kids, and SEVENTEEN, not a single K-pop artist or song was included in any category.
Among the snubs was BLACKPINK’s Lisa, who many expected to be nominated for her song New Woman, a collaboration with Spanish singer Rosalía.
The 27-year-old singer submitted her work for the Record of the Year and Song of the Year categories.
Lisa, whose full name is Lalisa Manobal, was also expected to vie for Best New Artist and Best Pop Solo Performance with her solo track Rockstar.
Meanwhile, Stray Kids had submitted their album Ate for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album, with their track Chk Chk Boom considered for Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Music Video, and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
While no K-pop act was nominated, there were a few indirect connections to the genre within the nominations.
Aespa contributed to Djesse Vol. 4, an album by Jacob Collier that received a nod for Album of the Year.
Stray Kids also appeared on the Deadpool & Wolverine soundtrack, which was nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media.
Additionally, BTS member Jungkook was featured on Usher’s track Coming Home, which earned a nomination for Best R&B Song.
However, these indirect ties to K-pop do not match the recognition K-pop fans had hoped for their beloved artists and solo projects.
