Music fans have reacted following the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, where BLACKPINK’s Rosé and global superstar Bruno Mars delivered a high-energy performance of their hit single “APT.” but walked away without a single award.
The night began with Rose making history as the first Korean-pop solo artist to open the Grammys, energising the crowd alongside Bruno Mars with a vibrant rendition of “APT.”.
Despite the song being nominated in three major categories — Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance — Rose and Mars did not secure a win in any.
Social media buzzed with mixed reactions. Many had high hopes for the collaboration as it topped charts worldwide but expressed disappointment with the said result.
“Mind you, ‘APT.’ has like five billion streams combined and had impact in ALL continents. Rosé and Bruno get robbed,” a netizen commented on a TikTok video of the artist performing.
“They did the same thing with her (Rosé) as with BTS,” another commented.
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Meanwhile, others debated the Academy’s voting processes and the broader representation of K-pop on the awards stage.
“I love Rosé and Bruno but like? ‘APT.’ was not Grammy worthy. Maybe VMA and AMA but not anything prestigious like this award show,” an anonymous poster added.
The Best Pop Duo/Group Performance award ultimately went to Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo for “Defying Gravity”.
Other top prizes were claimed by artists including Bad Bunny (Album of the Year), Billie Eilish (Song of the Year) and Kendrick Lamar (Best Rap Album), leaving many followers stunned by the outcome.
“Cynthia’s ‘Defying Gravity’ was literally talked about for months. You know damn well both her and Ariana deserved that award,” a netizen responded.
Nevertheless, industry observers noted that Rosé’s performance and nominations represent significant visibility for K-pop artists within the traditionally Western-dominated awards circuit, suggesting that even without wins, the duo’s presence marked an impactful moment in Grammy history.
The 2026 Grammy Awards took place on February 1 in Los Angeles.
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Jheruleene Anne Ramos 
Shameeka Voyiya 
Newsjustnews writers