BLACKPINK members Rosé, Jennie, Lisa and Jisoo have been heating up the music scene with their solo projects—but according to music insiders, they won’t be eligible for the Grammy’s Best New Artist award in 2026, and fans are not happy about it.
On July 28, popular pop culture account @ThePopTingz reported on X (formerly Twitter) that Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa are not eligible for the Best New Artist category at the upcoming Grammy Awards.
The source? Music industry outlet Hits Daily Double, which pointed to the Grammy rules stating that an artist who has already gained fame as part of a group cannot qualify for the category.
This news immediately spread across fan communities, K-pop forums, and global music discussion threads, with many questioning the fairness of the rules—especially after seeing other artists with long careers get nominated.
Fans brought up Sabrina Carpenter, who was nominated for Best New Artist in 2025 despite having released multiple albums and being in the industry for over a decade.
“Sabrina has a 10-year career and 5 albums but still got a nomination, yet these super talented girls can’t?” one fan wrote. Another added, “Sabrina, with 6 albums, many hit songs, and industry recognition, got nominated in 2025!”
Fans also pointed to past examples like Lauryn Hill, who debuted solo after major success with the Fugees, and still won Best New Artist in 1999.
According to the official Grammy rulebook, the Best New Artist is someone who made a “breakthrough” impact in the music scene.
Solo artists from groups can be nominated—as long as their group didn’t already achieve “prominence.” But that word isn’t clearly defined, leaving things up to the Grammy judges.
Considering BLACKPINK’s massive global fame—like headlining Coachella, selling out global tours, and topping the Billboard charts—many believe that Grammy officials may already view the members as “too established” for the category.
Still, fans believe that solo careers should be treated separately. “Group recognition and individual recognition are different,” one fan said. “Rosé is making her own impact and deserves to be judged for her music.”
Other fans pointed out another technicality: Jennie, Rosé, Lisa, and Jisoo have all already debuted as soloists, with releases dating back to 2018. That may also disqualify them based on entry limits. The Grammy rule limits an artist to three submissions across both group and solo efforts for Best New Artist.
But while the Best New Artist debate continues, some fans say it’s not the most important thing. “They don’t need that category. Let them win Song of the Year or Album of the Year instead,” one post read. “Those are the big ones anyway. Let’s aim higher.”
With Rosé’s “APT.” and Jennie’s solo album gaining international attention, many fans believe they have a real shot at major categories—and that’s what truly matters.
The last K-pop act to receive Grammy nominations was BTS, who made history with nods for Dynamite, Butter, My Universe (with Coldplay), and Yet to Come from 2021 to 2023.
As always, Grammy speculation is heating up, but fans know the real answer comes when nominations are officially revealed. Until then, many are focusing on what matters most—supporting the music.
“These rumors happen every year,” one fan commented. “Let’s not stress. Even one nomination is history in the making.”
Source: [1]
