Grammys 2025: JungKook and other K-Pop artists left in the dust again – is it just coincidence?

Another year, another round of Grammy nominations — and once again, K-pop fans are left in utter disbelief as their beloved idols get snubbed (yes, you read that right). Despite solo artists Jung Kook, RM, and Jimin making huge waves with their chart-topping singles and albums, none of them made it to the 2025 Grammy nominations list. So, is it just a coincidence, or is there something more sinister at play here?

No nominations of K-pop artists

Jimin, with his “record-breaking” Like Crazy, and Jung Kook, who set the internet on fire with his smash hit Seven, are two of K-pop’s biggest solo stars right now. Not to mention RM, who received high praise for his album Right Place, Wrong Person and appeared on multiple best of lists. The trio clearly put out top-tier music in 2023, but despite their undeniable talent, their names were curiously absent when the nominations were announced on November 8. So, what’s the deal, Grammy Academy? Is K-pop still not seriously considered by the music industry's biggest award show?

Let’s not forget that Jung Kook, RM, and Jimin are no strangers to Grammy nods — after all, they were nominated as part of BTS. The boy band made history with nominations in categories like Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for Dynamite?(2021) and Butter (2022), and even earned multiple nominations for My Universe?with Coldplay in 2023. However, despite their undeniable presence and success, the Grammy Academy still can’t seem to shake its bias against K-pop as a whole.

Netizens react

So what does it mean then? Is the Grammy Academy just not ready for the K-pop takeover? We may never know. But fans aren’t staying silent. On social media, K-pop stans are venting their frustration, with one user writing, “Another year, another Grammy snub. The system just doesn’t get it.” Others are joking about how “at least Stray Kids and ATEEZ got nominated for the Gold Derby Music Awards,” proving that fans still know where the real talent lies.

What’s even more jaw-dropping is that Jung Kook was eligible for several major categories this year, including Album of the Year for Golden, Record of the Year for Standing Next to You, and Best Pop Solo Performance for the same track. But in the end? Zero nominations. While not-so-surprisingly, the likes of Beyonce, Billie Eilish, and Taylor Swift snagged spots in the coveted Album of the Year race.