K-pop Artists Snubbed as Grammy Nominations Spark Calls for New Category

Summary:

  • The 2024 Grammy nominations excluded K-pop artists for the second year in a row.
  • Beyoncé leads with 11 nominations, followed by Billie Eilish and others.
  • Media outlets criticized the Grammys for ignoring K-pop’s global success.
  • Calls for a dedicated K-pop category mirror the recent addition of African music.
  • The Recording Academy acknowledged the need for greater inclusivity.

The release of the 2024 Grammy Award nominations on November 8 has reignited debates about whether The Recording Academy should introduce a dedicated category for K-pop. For the second consecutive year, no K-pop artists made it to the nominees list, sparking criticism despite the genre’s growing global influence.

K-pop’s absence is particularly noticeable after BTS secured Grammy nominations three years in a row from 2021 to 2023. However, this year’s list—featuring 94 categories across genres like pop, rock, and classical—did not include any Korean acts.

Leading the pack this year is Beyoncé with 11 nominations, including nods for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year. Other notable nominees include Billie Eilish, Charli XCX, Kendrick Lamar, and Post Malone, each earning seven nods. Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter also received recognition with six nominations apiece.

The Beatles made headlines with their nomination for Record of the Year for “Now and Then,” marking their return to the Grammys after 28 years. Meanwhile, Billie Eilish achieved a historic milestone as the first artist to have her first three albums nominated for Album of the Year.

The K-pop Conundrum

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Amid the celebration, discussions around the Grammys’ lack of representation for K-pop gained traction. U.S. media outlets like Billboard and USA Today highlighted prominent snubs, including BTS members RM, J-Hope, and Jimin, who released solo projects this year, and BLACKPINK’s Lisa, whose absence in the Best New Artist category drew particular attention.

Despite the record-breaking success of K-pop groups such as BLACKPINK, Tomorrow X Together, and SEVENTEEN, who have sold out stadiums worldwide, the genre remains overlooked by the Recording Academy. Critics have suggested that the Grammys could follow their recent inclusion of categories like Best African Music Performance by introducing a K-pop category to reflect the genre’s massive global fanbase.

Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. addressed the criticism, acknowledging that while progress has been made in expanding categories, there is “room for improvement.” He emphasized the academy’s commitment to more accurate representation, stating, “Without proper inclusivity, we can’t achieve the right results.”

With the Grammys slated for February 2 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, all eyes will be on whether the academy makes changes to better recognize emerging global trends in music.