This article is by Shin Ha-nee and read by an artificial voice.

K-pop has just leaped over the Grammy's notoriously high barrier for the genre: Blackpink's Rosé scored three nominations, Netflix's animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" landed five and girl group Katseye, though not strictly a K-pop act, earned two.
While the prospect of a win under the broader "K" banner appears stronger than ever, critics suggest that this year's nominations mark more of an evolution than a breakthrough for K-pop, reflecting how the genre has adapted to the U.S. music landscape, especially due to the somewhat surprising recognition of Katseye.
The announcement of the 68th Annual Grammy Awards nominees was livestreamed by the Recording Academy on Saturday. This year's nominations mark a milestone for K-pop, as artists and works tied to the K-pop ecosystem were nominated for three of the so-called "Big Four" categories: Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Best New Artist.

Up until now, BTS had been the only K-pop act to ever be nominated for the Grammys - specifically Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video - aside from soprano Sumi Jo and sound engineer Hwang Byung-joon's earlier wins. It was also credited as a featured artist in Coldplay's "Music of the Spheres," which was nominated for Album of the Year at the 65th Grammys, for their contribution to the song "My Universe" (2021). The boy band has yet to take home a trophy.
Rosé's viral megahit "APT." (2024), a collaboration with Bruno Mars, is up for Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Performance. "Golden," a chart-sweeping standout track from Netflix's smash hit "KPop Demon Hunters," received nominations for Song of the Year, Best Pop Duo/Performance, Best Song Written for Visual Media and Best Remixed Recording. The film's soundtrack album was nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media as well. The Korean American musical "Maybe Happy Ending" is also competing for Best Musical Theater Album.

Perhaps the most surprising new contender is HYBE's rookie girl group Katseye, nominated for Best New Artist and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance with its June single "Gabriela."
A victory for "APT.," "Golden" or Katseye could make history as the first Grammy for an artist or work directly involved with the broader K-pop ecosystem.
"Both 'APT.' and 'Golden' have been massively popular in the United States for a long time, and across a broad demographic, not certain, specific groups," said music critic Lim Hee-yoon, suggesting that the probability of a Grammy win appears to be greater than ever this time.
Pop culture critic Kim Heon-sik echoed the sentiment, noting that the one thing all K-related nominees share is their collaboration with U.S. industry players.
"The songs' visibility in the U.S. market, supported by local producers, will certainly make the works more familiar, and therefore likely to draw votes from members of the Recording Academy," Kim said, adding that the increasing diversity of the Academy's members will also work in favor of the nominees.
Katseye's breakthrough into the lineup, in particular, highlights how K-pop's production model has evolved well beyond its origins.

The sextet, which debuted last year, was formed through the audition program "The Debut: Dream Academy" and is currently managed by HYBE UMG, a joint venture between the K-pop powerhouse and Universal Music Group's Geffen Records. Branded as a "global girl group," Katseye includes members from the United States, Korea, the Philippines and Switzerland.
Katseye has enjoyed a successful year so far, with "Gabriela" peaking at No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The group is set to kick off its first U.S. tour, titled "Beautiful Chaos," on Saturday, spanning 13 cities and 16 shows through December. As of November, Katseye has 33.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify, rivaling Blackpink's 27.1 million listeners, Rosé's 34.2 million and BTS's 24.4...

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