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Historic Grammy win for fictional K-Pop song
Los Angeles - A track from the Netflix blockbuster KPop Demon Hunters became the first K-Pop song to secure a Grammy Award, claiming the best song for visual media prize as the ceremony opened Sunday.
The winning track
Performed by the fictional group Huntr/x, Golden also earned a nomination for song of the year. The movie, released last June, shattered records with over 480 million views, making it Netflix's most-watched film ever.
The soundtrack's success-topping the Billboard charts for the first time since Disney's Encanto in 2022-signals K-Pop's expanding global influence, according to industry observers.
Early awards highlight diverse winners
Before the main ceremony, Kendrick Lamar led with three wins, including best rap song for TV Off. The Compton rapper dominated last year's Grammys with five awards, including song and record of the year for his Drake diss track Not Like Us.
Other early victors included Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, who won best pop duo/group performance for their Wicked duet Defying Gravity, and Yungblud, who took home best rock performance for his live cover of Black Sabbath's Changes at Ozzy Osbourne's farewell concert.
"The last time I saw Ozzy Osbourne, he asked if there was anything he could do for me. I answered, the music was enough."
Yungblud
K-Pop's growing recognition
Blackpink's Rosé was nominated in three categories, including song and record of the year for APT, but left empty-handed despite opening the show with a high-energy performance alongside Bruno Mars.
Last August, the Recording Academy expanded its voting body to include K-Pop artists, producers, and songwriters, such as Seventeen's Woozi and Le Sserafim's Huh Yunjin, reflecting the genre's rising prominence.
Emotional moments and political statements
R&B artist Kehlani used her acceptance speech for best R&B performance to criticize U.S. immigration policies, directing a blunt message at ICE officers. She later dedicated her best R&B song award to her adoptive mother, calling her a "lifeline."
Folk legend Joni Mitchell made a rare appearance to accept the best historical recording award for Archives, Vol. 4, a collection of unreleased tracks from 1976-1980. Her unscripted speech, filled with career anecdotes, drew laughter from the audience.
Film and genre awards dominate premiere ceremony
The Southern horror film Sinners swept the film categories, winning best soundtrack and best score, days after earning a record 16 Oscar nominations.
The Cure secured their first Grammys-best alternative album for Songs of a Lost World and best alternative recording for Alone-though the band missed the ceremony due to keyboardist Perry Bamonte's recent passing.
Eight-year-old Aura V became the youngest Grammy winner ever, taking home best children's album, while the Dalai Lama won best audiobook.
