On the night of November 8th, the 2025 Grammy nominations were officially announced. As the most prestigious music award in the world, being nominated for a Grammy is considered a major recognition for any artist or work. Therefore, 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 major comebacks from superstars like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, and Sabrina Carpenter. As for Asian stars, K-pop was shut 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 outcome has sparked much debate. Some argue that K-pop’s lack of recognition at the Grammys is not surprising, as even Ariana Grande received minimal acknowledgment and missed out on Big 4 nominations. However, some K-pop fans, especially those of the artists mentioned above, criticize the Grammys for discrimination 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 nominated directly but were part of collaborations featured in nominated albums. While not counted as a direct achievement, these artists benefit if the collaborating album wins a Grammy.
The K-pop artists mentioned indirectly in this year’s Grammy nominations include:
- aespa, featured in the song “Over You” from the album Djesse Vol. 4 by Jacob Collier, which is nominated for “Album of the Year.”
- Stray Kids, featured in “Slash” from the Deadpool & Wolverine movie soundtrack album, nominated for “Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media.”
- Jung Kook, featured in the remix of “Standing Next To You” from Usher’s Coming Home album, nominated for “Best R&B Song.”
