Aespa, Ateez, and Enhypen are among the K-pop acts competing for Best New Artist at the 2026 Grammys, despite long-established chart success. INDIO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 19: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Members of ATEEZ perform onstage during Day 1 of Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at Empire Polo Club on April 19, 2024 in Indio, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images for Coachella)
Getty Images for Coachella
There are almost 100 categories at the Grammy Awards, but there’s only one that a musical act can be nominated for just once, and it’s Best New Artist. How the Recording Academy defines who is “new” has changed frequently, even throughout the past few years, but the purpose of the category has remained the same.
The vertical is meant to highlight breakthrough acts, but eligibility has long been open to interpretation. Every year, there’s some controversy regarding which names are excluded versus which are allowed to compete, and potentially even win. At the upcoming 2026 Grammys, several K-pop acts that many fans would argue are far from new are in contention for Best New Artist, including three of the biggest successes in the American music industry: Aespa, Ateez, and Enhypen.
How Is the Best New Artist Grammy Chosen?
Eligibility for the 2026 Grammys began in September 2024 and concluded at the end of August 2025. Billboard reports that 337 artists have been submitted for the Best New Artist category this time around. Each name on the list has been judged for eligibility by a committee formed specially by the Recording Academy, which determines who had a breakout year, and which stars still count as “new” years into their careers. The first round of voting for the Grammys opened on Friday, October 3, and nominations will be announced on November 7.
Will Ateez Be Nominated for a Grammy?
Among the famous K-pop vocal groups that could snag a Best New Artist nomination, Ateez has perhaps spent the most time in the spotlight. The group began appearing on the Billboard charts seven years ago and has reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 twice — first with The World EP.Fin: Will in 2023 and then again last year with Golden Hour: Part 2. Ateez is one of just three K-pop acts to score multiple No. 1 albums in America, joining BTS and Stray Kids in that feat.
Will Aespa Be Nominated for a Grammy?
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 29: (L-R) Giselle, Ningning, Karina and Winter of aespa attend the 2025 Billboard Women in Music at YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Aespa delivered its debut album a little more than a year ago, when Armageddon arrived at the end of May 2024. That set peaked at No. 25 on the Billboard 200, but Aespa had already been landing on that competitive tally for several years before its first full-length dropped.
The women that make up the outfit debuted with Savage, an introductory EP, in 2021. The band reached a career high in summer 2022 with the Girls EP, which rocketed to No. 3, becoming one of two top 10s for the South Korean outfit. Most recently, the group’s Rich Man EP just barely missed the top 10 on the Billboard 200 in September, topping out at No. 14.
Will Enhypen Be Nominated for a Grammy?
Enhypen has spent nearly as much time as Billboard charting successes as Aespa, so if one is eligible, it makes sense that the other should be as well. Enhypen landed on the Billboard 200 albums chart for the first time in 2021, and in the years since, the group has racked up five top 10s on the list of the most-consumed projects — one of the most impressive accumulations among K-pop stars. The band almost became one of the select few K-pop stars to reach No. 1 on the tally, as Romance: Untold stalled just one rung shy of ruling.
MILAN, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 25: Enhypen attends the Prada fashion show during the Milan Womenswear Spring/Summer 2026 on September 25, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Victor Boyko/Getty Images)
Getty Images
What K-Pop Acts Have Earned Grammy Nominations?
To date, only one K-pop act has ever been nominated for a Grammy. BTS has earned five nods, including three in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category, all in a row, as “Dynamite,” “Butter,” and “My Universe” with Coldplay competed for the prize, but none ended up claiming the trophy. Thanks to the collaboration with Coldplay, BTS was also once nominated for Album of the Year as a featured artist.
Blackpink and Rosé Could Make Grammy History
In addition to Aespa, Ateez, and Enhypen, several stars associated with K-pop are eligible in a variety of categories for the 2026 Grammy Awards. Blackpink’s single “Jump” could snag a nod in either Best Dance Pop Recording or Best Dance/Electronic Recording, depending on where the girl group submits the Hot 100 hit.
Several members of the group — including Lisa and Rosé — are serious contenders for major awards and could both make history with nominations in less than a month.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2025/10/16/ateez-aespa-and-enhypen-the-k-pop-stars-vying-for-a-best-new-artist-grammy-nom/
