The 2025 Grammy nominations were officially announced on the night of November 8. As the most prestigious music award in the world, being nominated for a Grammy is considered an important recognition for any artist or work. So every Grammy season, fans eagerly watch the nominations, wondering which product will catch the Academy’s attention.
This year’s Grammy race is dominated by pop girls, with big returns from superstars like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Billie Eilish and Sabrina Carpenter. As for Asian stars, K-pop was left out despite many prominent figures submitting nominations. BTS, LE SSERAFIM, TWICE, Stray Kids and especially BLACKPINK’s youngest member Lisa, who submitted nominations for 6 categories with her songs “ROCKSTAR” and “New Woman”, were not included in the nominations.
The result sparked much debate. Some argue that K-pop’s lack of recognition at the Grammys is not surprising, given that Ariana Grande also received minimal recognition and missed the Big 4 nominations. However, some K-pop fans, particularly those of the artists mentioned above, criticize the Grammys for discriminating against Asian artists. Despite the reactions, the nominations have been finalized.
Amid the controversy, many fans were surprised to learn that some K-pop artists were indirectly mentioned in this year’s Grammy nominations. These artists were not directly nominated but were part of collaborations featured on the nominated albums. While not considered a direct result, these artists benefit if the album they collaborate on wins a Grammy.
K-pop artists indirectly mentioned in this year’s Grammy nominations include:
- aespa, featured in the song “Over You” from the album Djesse vol. 4 by Jacob Collier, nominated for “Album of the Year”.
- Stray Kids, featured in “Slash” from Deadpool and Wolverine film soundtrack album, nominated for “Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Content”.
- Jung Kook, featured on Usher’s remix of “Standing Next To You”. Coming home album, nominated for “Best R&B Song.”
