Rosé was praised as the first Kpop idol to be nominated for a GRAMMY, netizens divided into factions!

Rosé ( BLACKPINK ) being nominated at the 68th GRAMMY is a big topic of controversy. She is praised by fans as the "first Kpop idol" to have this honor, but netizens are divided into fierce debates about the definition of "Korean solo artist", with many harsh opinions.

Social media has exploded with controversy surrounding Rosé's historic achievement at the 2025 GRAMMYs. The popular social media account "@ PopBase " posted a congratulatory message, claiming that she is the first Korean solo artist to be nominated for a GRAMMY. This post quickly went viral but also drew a series of fierce responses from fans and experts, causing the battle for the title of "first" to once again stir up the Kpop community.

Fiercely refuted: Whose title belongs?

Rosé's GRAMMY nomination is a huge achievement for her solo career, but controversy has erupted as her claim to be the first has been immediately questioned.

Many netizens and experts have spoken out to point out that this title should belong to Sumi Jo – the world-famous soprano. Sumi Jo won the GRAMMY award in 1993, more than 30 years ago, in the category "Best Opera Recording" for her performance in Richard Strauss: Die Frau ohne Schatten. The posts in response emphasized: "This is not true, because Sumi Jo won the GRAMMY more than 30 years ago."

However, the BLINK fandom disagrees with this comparison. They argue that Sumi Jo received the award as part of a classical ensemble, while Rosé is the first K-pop solo artist to be nominated for a popular music product. According to their argument, Rosé's nomination is still historic in its own right – representing K-pop in the contemporary music flow.

The online community is divided into factions: BTS and ARMY controversy

The story became more complicated when two large fandoms, BLINK and ARMY, were dragged into the debate. Many opinions said that the media had promoted BTS as the "first Korean artist" to be nominated for a GRAMMY, when in fact the title had long belonged to Sumi Jo.

On BTS's side, ARMY had to speak up to defend the male idols, affirming that BTS is the first Kpop artist to be nominated in the category of best pop duo/group performance. However, the way the media and fans use the phrase "first Korean artist" to talk about BTS's achievements has caused many similar misunderstandings and controversies in the past. This shows the complexity and sensitivity in determining historical milestones when considering the diversity of Korean music genres.

Despite the heated debate between fandoms that has yet to end, it is undeniable that Rosé has made a very important mark at the 2026 GRAMMYs. This achievement is a clear testament to the growing global influence of K-pop, and continues to affirm the ever-expanding journey of Korean artists on the most prestigious international music stages. Regardless of who is the "first" title, Rosé has been an indispensable part of Korean music history at this award show.

Rosé (BLACKPINK) was accused of "cheating" at the 68th FYC GRAMMY, making BTS fans angry Tuyết Linh11:26:42 22/09/2025Rosé (BLACKPINK) was embroiled in controversy before the 68th GRAMMYs when her FYC package was said to have exaggerated her achievements, causing a backlash from Kpop fans and putting the female singer's name at the center of a storm of discussion.