Rosé earns first Brit Award for K-pop

Rosé of the K-pop girl group Blackpink has become the first K-pop artist to win a trophy at the Brit Awards, the United Kingdom’s most prestigious pop music ceremony, often compared to the Grammy Awards.

At the 46th Brit Awards, held in Manchester on Feb. 28 local time, her song APT. was named International Song of the Year.

Speaking on stage, Rosé said she was deeply honored to receive the award before what she described as a room full of talented and respected musicians in the United Kingdom. She also thanked Bruno Mars, who collaborated on the track, calling him her greatest mentor and one of her closest friends. “APT.” peaked at No. 2 on the U.K. Official Singles Chart and remained in the upper tier for more than a year.

Rosé gave a shoutout to her bandmates Jennie, Jisoo and Lisa, saying she loves them and thanking them for their constant inspiration. She also expressed gratitude to Teddy, executive producer at The Black Label, affectionately calling him “oppa” and voicing her appreciation.

Also nominated for International Song of the Year was "Golden," the theme song of the Netflix animated series KPop Demon Hunters. The fictional girl group Huntrix, which performs the track in the series, was also shortlisted for International Group of the Year but did not win.

Launched in 1977 and organized by the British Phonographic Industry, the Brit Awards are widely regarded as the most prestigious music honors in the United Kingdom. BTS were nominated for International Group of the Year in 2021 and 2022, and Blackpink received a nomination in the same category in 2023. In 2024, DJ Peggy Gou was nominated for International Song of the Year, but none of the nominees secured a win.

Meanwhile, Blackpink’s third EP, "Deadline," released on Feb. 27, sold 1,461,785 copies on its first day, according to YG Entertainment. The agency said the figure marked the highest first-day sales for a K-pop girl group and that the album topped the iTunes Top Albums chart in 32 countries. As of Sunday, the music video for the title track "GO" had surpassed 27.9 million views two days after its release.


김태언 기자 beborn@donga.com