Grammys face criticism for snubbing K-pop artists again this year

US outlets spotlight 'snub list' featuring major K-pop artists

By KTimes

When the Grammy Awards nominations were released on Nov. 8, some media outlets raised questions about whether The Recording Academy should introduce a new category for K-pop, pointing out the absence of K-pop artists on the list for the second consecutive year. After BTS received nominations for three straight years, from 2021 to 2023, K-pop artists have been notably absent from both this year’s and next year’s nominee lists.

The Grammy Awards, scheduled for Feb. 2 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, released a list of nominees across 94 categories, covering genres from pop to classical. Beyonce leads the roster with 11 nominations, including three general field categories: Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Album of the Year.

Other top contenders include Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar and Post Malone, each with seven nominations, while Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan have six each.

Eilish earned recognition as the first artist to have her first three albums nominated for Album of the Year. The Beatles also received a nomination for Record of the Year with “Now and Then,” marking their return to the Grammys after 28 years.

No place for K-pop at the Grammys

Following the release of the nominees, several U.S. outlets highlighted the "snub list," which included notable K-pop artists who were overlooked despite significant achievements. The Associated Press noted that BTS members RM, J-Hope and Jimin, who all released solo tracks this year, were not nominated.

Billboard also included BLACKPINK’s Lisa on the snub list, stating that had she been nominated for Best New Artist, she would have been the first K-pop artist in that category. Despite BLACKPINK’s massive global success, they have yet to receive a Grammy nomination.

USA Today said that despite the growing influence of K-pop, demonstrated by artists like Tomorrow X Together, BLACKPINK and SEVENTEEN filling stadiums across the U.S., the Grammys still lack a dedicated space for these artists.

The publication suggested that the Grammys, which recently expanded categories with additions like Best African Music Performance, could consider adding a category for K-pop to recognize its global fanbase and influence.

The Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. acknowledged the need for broader representation across genres, saying, "We see room for improvement across many genres." He emphasized that without accurate representation, achieving "the right results" is challenging, underscoring that the academy is working to better reflect current trends in the music industry.

The Grammy Awards, established by The Recording Academy in 1959, recognizes achievements by singers, producers, recording engineers and critics each year.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.