Blackpink's Rosé became the first K-pop artist to win a Brit Award, securing International Song of the Year at the 2026 ceremony for her collaboration 'APT.' with Bruno Mars. The 29-year-old accepted the trophy in Manchester, thanking her bandmates, Bruno Mars, and collaborators, while dressed in an asymmetric black gown and Tiffany & Co. jewelry as the brand's global ambassador.
On February 28, 2026, at the 46th Brit Awards held at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England, Blackpink's Rosé made history as the first K-pop artist to win a trophy. She received the International Song of the Year for 'APT.,' her collaboration with Bruno Mars, released in October 2024 as a pre-release single from her debut studio album rosie. Inspired by the Korean drinking game 'apartment game,' the track featured bright pop harmonies and an addictive refrain, achieving massive success: 45 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 (peaking at No. 3, the longest for any K-pop track) and No. 2 on the U.K. Official Singles Chart for over a year. It also won two MTV Video Music Awards in 2025, including Song of the Year, and was nominated for Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the Grammy Awards.
Visibly emotional, the 29-year-old Rosé accepted the award in an asymmetric black gown and Tiffany & Co. jewelry, for which she serves as a global ambassador. In her speech, she said, 'Oh my gosh it is such an honor to be receiving this award in front of so many talented and admirable musicians in the U.K.' She dedicated the win to Bruno Mars: 'Bruno, I’m receiving this award on behalf of the both of us—thank you so much for everything. For being my biggest mentor and best friend, I love you so much.' Rosé thanked her Blackpink bandmates—'Jennie, Jisoo and Lisa, I love you guys so much. Thank you for always inspiring me'—as well as producer Teddy of The Black Label and her Atlantic Records team.
This milestone follows prior K-pop nominations without wins: BTS for International Group of the Year in 2021 and 2022, Blackpink in 2023, and Korean DJ Peggy Gou shortlisted for International Song of the Year in 2024. The achievement coincided with Blackpink's release of their third mini-album Deadline the day before.
K-pop representation increased at the event, with 'Golden' from the Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters—performed by the fictional group HUNTR/X (voiced by EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami)—nominated for International Song of the Year and International Group of the Year. The group delivered a live performance that drew enthusiastic cheers from fans.
