Why isn’t K-pop taken seriously at the Grammys? Jung Kook, RM, Jimin all ignored
Another year of Grammy nominations, another year of K-pop fans having to cope with the fact that none of their favorite performers made it in.
Solo artists Jung Kook, RM, and Jimin were all eligible to be nominated at the 2025 Grammys, but they were ignored when the noms were announced on Friday, Nov. 8 by the Recording Academy — see the full list. So why isn’t K-pop music taken more seriously at the Grammys?
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Jimin and Jung Kook both broke streaming records with their singles “Like Crazy” and “Seven,” respectively, and RM was added to many respectable “best of” lists at music publications for his album “Right Place, Wrong Person.” South Korean artists are clearly here to stay, so perhaps it’s just a matter of opening up the eyes (and the ears) of the Recording Academy members by introducing them to new styles of music they may not have grown up with. One step in the right direction? The Grammy Museum recently partnered with HYBE, a South Korean entertainment company, for a special K-pop exhibit earlier this summer that featured BTS. But it seems like for every step forward, there are massive strides backward.
To be accurate, Jung Kook, RM, and Jimin are all prior Grammy nominees as members of the aforementioned world-renowned group BTS. But that is the only K-Pop contender to ever be recognized for music’s biggest honor. The boy band earned bids for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance (“Dynamite”) in 2021, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance (“Butter”) in 2022, and Best Music Video (“Yet To Come”), Best Pop Duo/Group Performance (“My Universe” with Coldplay), and Album Of The Year (“Music Of The Spheres” with Coldplay) in 2023.
SEEAndre 3000 shocks, Ariana Grande underperforms, and other Grammy snubs and surprises
As Gold Derby previously reported, Jung Kook was eligible this year for Album of the Year for “Golden,” Record of the Year for “Standing Next to You,” Best Pop Vocal Album for “Golden,” Best Pop Solo Performance for “Standing Next to You,” Best Music Video for “Standing Next to You,” and Best Pop Duo/Group for “3D” with Jack Harlow. Jimin’s eligible album was “Muse,” and RM’s eligible album was “Right Place, Wrong Person.” All of their albums were released through Big Hit Music.
Instead of the three former BTS members getting recognized in the top Album of the Year race, the Recording Academy instead nominated these eight artists: Andre 3000 for “New Blue Sun,” Beyonce for “Cowboy Carter,” Sabrina Carpenter for “Short n’ Sweet,” Charli XCX for “Brat,” Jacob Collier for “Djesse Vol. 4,” Billie Eilish for Hit Me Hard and Soft,” Chappell Roan for “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” and Taylor Swift for The Tortured Poets Department.”
Here at Gold Derby, we have our own music awards show that’s voted on by fans — the Gold Derby Music Awards — and K-pop boy bands Stray Kids and ATEEZ both received two nominations apiece: Album of the Year (“Rock-Star”) and Best Group for Stray Kids, and Best New Artist and Best Group for ATEEZ. You now have until Dec. 6 to vote for the winners of the Gold Derby Music Awards 2025.
Below, see a sampling of K-pop fans’ social media reactions regarding the genre’s complete shut-out in this year’s Grammy nominations:
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