Rosé of BLACKPINK has made history with eight nominations at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) — the highest tally for any K-pop artist this year. The milestone has sparked speculation: could this momentum bring her closer to a Grammy nomination?
VMA as a Launchpad
Rosé’s hit APT. is nominated in seven major categories — Video of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Collaboration, Best Pop, Best Direction, Best Art Direction, and Best Visual Effects. Her track Toxic Till the End, from debut album rosie, also earned a nod for Best K-pop, bringing her total to eight. Rosé is joined in the K-pop category by BLACKPINK members Jennie, Lisa, and Jisoo, alongside aespa, Jimin (BTS), and Stray Kids.
VMA Wins vs. Grammy Chances
Industry experts caution that VMA success doesn’t guarantee Grammy recognition. The two awards have different judging criteria and voting systems. However, winning at the VMAs can raise an artist’s profile, earn goodwill from Grammy voters, and expand their U.S. market presence.
Past examples show overlap — Taylor Swift’s All Too Well: The Short Film won Video of the Year at VMAs 2022 and Best Music Video at the Grammys in 2023, while Kendrick Lamar’s Humble achieved the same double win in 2017–2018.
Grammy: A Tougher Goal
Music critic Lim He Yun notes that while a major VMA win could boost Rosé’s Grammy chances, her U.S. hit portfolio is currently limited to APT.
“In Rose’s case, her only real hit in the US is ‘APT.’ and that alone is unlikely to earn her a Grammy nomination. Unless a K-pop song performs on the level of ‘APT.’ or higher, K-pop doesn’t get as much attention from American audiences as we might think,” he said.
The Grammys typically favor artists with consistent U.S. chart success, critical acclaim, and releases under major American labels. Even BTS, the first K-pop act nominated for a Grammy, has yet to win after three consecutive nominations (2021–2023).
Still, Lim points out that declining Grammy viewership could motivate the Recording Academy to consider high-profile K-pop acts to draw global attention.
With her 8 VMA nominations, Rosé has solidified her status as a global K-pop powerhouse. While the road to the Grammys remains challenging, a high-profile VMA win could serve as the catalyst for crossing that next historic milestone.
Source: Korea Herald
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