26
K-Pop Makes History with First Grammy Win for ‘Golden’
K-pop achieved a historic milestone at teh 68th grammy Awards, with the song “Golden” from the Netflix animated series K-Pop Demon Hunters winning ‘Best Song Written for Visual Media.’ The win-announced February 1st at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles-marks the first Grammy Award ever given to a K-pop track, signaling a growing international recognition of the genre’s influence. The ceremony also featured groundbreaking performances by Rosé and the group Catseye, further solidifying K-pop’s presence on the world’s biggest music stage.
K-Pop Makes History with First Grammy Win for ‘Golden’
“The World Singing Korean Lyrics is Moving,” Say Creators
NYT: “K-Pop’s Drought is Finally Over”
President Lee Congratulates on “Valuable Achievement”
Rosé Makes Korean Singer Debut on Grammy Stage, Girl Group Catseye Also Perform
“‘Golden’ finally ended the drought for K-pop, a global powerhouse.” (The New York Times)
A song from the Netflix animated series ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ (‘Kedheon’), titled ‘Golden,’ has made history as the first K-pop track to win a Grammy Award. Rosé was nominated in three categories – including Record of the Year – but did not win. However, she marked a milestone as the first Korean artist to open the Grammy Awards ceremony, showcasing the growing influence of K-pop on the world stage.
● “A Korean Song Won a Grammy”
</div>
<figcaption>The singers of ‘Golden,’ the first K-pop song to win a Grammy Award, from the Netflix animated series ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ (‘Kedheon’): Lee Jae, Audrey Nuna, and Ray Ami (from left). Photo source: Grammy Instagram</figcaption>
</figure> <figure class="img_cont articlePhotoC" style="max-width:684px;">
<div class="in_cont">
<img src="https://dimg.donga.com/wps/NEWS/IMAGE/2026/02/03/133282864.4.jpg" alt=""/>
</div>
<figcaption class="txtRight"><br/></figcaption>
</figure>On February 1 (local time) at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, singer Lee Jae, producer Teddy, 24, and IDO (Lee Yu-han, Kwak Jung-gyu, Nam Hee-dong) won the award for ‘Best Song Written for Visual Media’ for ‘Golden.’ This award recognizes the songwriters behind songs created for film, television, and other visual media. </p><p>Lee Jae, accepting the award at the pre-show ceremony, expressed his joy, stating, “Today is a day to celebrate Korean culture.”</p><p>“When I was growing up, people didn’t even know where Korea was, or what kind of country it was. So, it’s incredibly moving that everyone is singing ‘Golden’ and following along with the Korean lyrics.”</p><p>The Grammy Awards, hosted by the Recording Academy since 1959, had previously only seen Korean winners in the classical music category. Soprano Jo Su-mi was the first Korean to win a Grammy in 1993 for ‘Best Opera Recording,’ followed by cellist Kim Ki-hyun (2011) and sound engineer Hwang Byung-joon, representing Soundmirror Korea (2012 & 2016). BTS was nominated for ‘Best Pop Duo/Group Performance’ three consecutive years from 2021-2023, but did not win.</p><p>President Lee Myung-bak posted on X (formerly Twitter) on the same day, stating, “K-pop has written a new chapter in history. I extend my warmest congratulations on this valuable achievement on the world’s most prestigious stage, a dream for all musicians.”</p><p>The Grammy win for ‘Golden’ also garnered attention internationally. The BBC reported that “the award demonstrates a growing recognition of the cultural and commercial impact of K-pop music.”</p><p><b>● A Powerful K-Pop Presence</b></p><p>Despite the historic win, there was also a sense of near misses. ‘Golden’ was nominated in five categories, including ‘Song of the Year,’ but did not secure additional awards. Rosé’s ‘APT.’ was also nominated in three categories – ‘Song of the Year’ and ‘Record of the Year’ – but did not win. </p><p>The loss in the ‘Best Pop Duo/Group Performance’ category was particularly disappointing. ‘Golden,’ ‘APT.,’ and the American-Korean girl group Catseye’s ‘Gabriella’ were all contenders, but the award went to ‘Defying Gravity’ from the musical film ‘Wicked.’ Pop music critic Jung Min-jae noted, “With three K-pop songs in the running, it seems the votes were split among the judges.”</p><figure class="img_cont articlePhotoC" style="max-width:684px;">
<div class="in_cont">
<img src="https://dimg.donga.com/wps/NEWS/IMAGE/2026/02/03/133282869.4.jpg" alt="Singer Rosé (left) performs her hit song ‘APT.’ with American pop star Bruno Mars during the opening of the 68th Grammy Awards. Los Angeles = AP Newswire"/>
</div>
<figcaption>Singer Rosé (left) performs her hit song ‘APT.’ with American pop star Bruno Mars during the opening of the 68th Grammy Awards. Los Angeles = AP Newswire</figcaption>
</figure> <figure class="img_cont articlePhotoC" style="max-width:684px;">
<div class="in_cont">
<img src="https://dimg.donga.com/wps/NEWS/IMAGE/2026/02/03/133282866.4.jpg" alt="The American-Korean girl group ‘Catseye,’ nominated for ‘Best New Artist’ at the Grammy Awards, performs their hit song ‘Gnarly.’ Los Angeles = AP Newswire"/>
</div>
<figcaption>The American-Korean girl group ‘Catseye,’ nominated for ‘Best New Artist’ at the Grammy Awards, performs their hit song ‘Gnarly.’ Los Angeles = AP Newswire</figcaption>
</figure><p>However, this year’s Grammy Awards showcased K-pop’s presence more prominently than ever before. Rosé delivered an impactful opening performance alongside Bruno Mars, with Billie Eilish and Miley Cyrus seen singing and dancing along. Girl group Catseye also took the main stage to perform ‘Gnarly.’ The Broadway cast of the Korean-created musical ‘Perhaps a Happy Ending,’ which won six Tony Awards last year, performed a song during a pre-show event.</p><p><b>● Calls for “ICE OUT” and Condemnation of Trump</b></p><p>The Grammy’s highest honor, ‘Album of the Year,’ went to Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny for his Spanish-language album ‘Debi Tirar Mas Fotos.’ This marks the first time a Spanish-language album has won the award.</p><p>During the ceremony, voices condemning former U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration policies were also prominent. Bad Bunny shouted “ICE OUT” while accepting the ‘Best Música Urbana Album’ award, prompting a standing ovation from many musicians. Billie Eilish, who won ‘Song of the Year,’ also said “F*** ICE.” Many attendees wore ‘ICE OUT’ badges.</p><!--BYLINE--><!--//BYLINE-->
</div><p>© dongA.com All rights reserved. 무단 전재, 재배포 및 AI학습 이용 금지</p>