At the 66th Grammy Awards, not only BTS but also other K-Pop artists could not win any nominations. Photo: IT.

With BTS members starting military service, leading to the group’s temporary hiatus, many other members have focused on solo activities. Despite concerns about a K-Pop crisis due to BTS’s absence, various K-Pop groups such as BLACKPINK, Seventeen, Stray Kids, NewJeans and Fifty Fifty have still achieved significant success in the North American market .

The Grammy Awards are known as the most “conservative” awards among American music awards ceremonies. However, the barrier this time is that there is no presence of any nominated K-Pop artists at the awards ceremony.

K-Pop misses Grammy nomination… An unsurmountable threshold

BTS once won a Grammy Award nomination, but this year they did not make the nomination list. In particular, BTS was nominated for 3 consecutive years from 2020 to 2022 in the category “Best Pop Duo/Group Performance”.

The lack of nominations for members Jimin and Jungkook, who topped the US Billboard’s main “Hot 100” singles chart, was also disappointing in general categories such as “Record of the Year” and “Record of the Year”. Song of the Year”.

NewJeans, the group that attracted attention on the “Hot 100” right after their debut, was expected to be in the “Best New Artist” category but in the end did not make the list. Stray Kids and Fifty Fifty, who also had significant chart achievements, were also not nominated.

While BTS began a hiatus from group activities after Jin enlisted in the army, the entire industry was worried about a K-Pop crisis. However, the individual achievements of BTS members and the success of other K-Pop artists in the US market have dispelled these concerns.

The conservative nature of the Grammy Awards and the lack of K-Pop groups reaching the threshold of glory have raised the notion that it is too early to discuss a “post-BTS” era. Some people don’t even hesitate to condemn the Grammys, with USA Today commenting that, although K-Pop may be one of the most successful “genres” globally, Grammy voters missed.

An industry insider mentioned: “Despite criticism of the Grammys’ conservatism, this situation further affirms BTS’s stature. This year, K-Pop’s global achievement is greater than ever , making fans even more disappointed with the Recording Academy’s decision.”

Fifty Fifty, with the song “Cupid”, which once “remained” on the Billboard chart, will join the list of nominees for this year’s Billboard Music Awards. Photo: IT.

Keep an eye on Billboard: Can K-Pop regain its pride?

“Billboard Music Awards” is another major American music awards ceremony along with the Grammys, which will be held on November 20. With several K-Pop artists nominated and NewJeans scheduled to perform, this event is of even more interest to K-pop fans.

BTS has been a standout at the Billboard Music Awards since 2017, winning 6 years in a row. This year, the addition of the K-Pop category further strengthens the influence of this award.

BTS members going solo also made their mark in this year’s Billboard Awards nominations. Jimin was nominated in four categories, including “Top Hit Song” and “Top Global K-Pop Artist”. Jungkook is competing with Jimin in the “Top Global K-Pop Song” category with his hit single “Seven”. SUGA was nominated in the “Top K-Pop Touring Artist” category.

With NewJeans’ first performance, the group will introduce “Super Shy” and “OMG” at the Billboard Music Awards. They were nominated in four categories, including “Top Global K-Pop Artist”, following their notable performance on the Billboard charts.

Other K-Pop groups such as Tomorrow X Together, BLACKPINK, Twice and Stray Kids were also nominated. Fifty Fifty, who once had the song “Cupid” on the Billboard chart, will join this year’s Billboard Music Awards nomination list.