Rosé of the girl group Blackpink became the first in Korea to win at the Brit Awards, the United Kingdom's most prestigious popular music awards.
On Feb. 28 (local time) in Manchester, England, at the 46th Brit Awards, Rosé was named the winner of International Song of the Year. It was for the mega hit "APT.", a collaboration with pop star Bruno Mars.
Holding the trophy, Rosé said, "It's an honor to receive this award in front of so many talented and respected musicians in the U.K.," adding, "First of all, Bruno, I am receiving this award on behalf of both of us. Thank you for being my greatest mentor and best friend."
Rosé went on, "I want to give a shout-out to Blackpink and Jennie, Jisoo, and Lisa," adding, "I love you all. Thank you for always inspiring me," as she expressed gratitude to her group members.
She also addressed Teddy, the executive producer at her label The Black Label, calling him "Teddy oppa," and added, "I love you so much."
"APT." was a pre-released track from Rosé's solo album dropped in Oct. 2024, created from an idea inspired by the Korean drinking game "apartment game" that he enjoyed. The song reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, the highest ranking ever for a K-pop female artist, and peaked at No. 2 on the U.K. Official Singles Chart while staying on the chart for over a year with steady popularity.
Launched in 1977, the Brit Awards is a prestigious awards ceremony organized by the British Phonographic Industry. Previously, the group BTS was nominated for International Group of the Year in 2021 and 2022, and Blackpink was nominated in 2023, but they did not win. In 2024, DJ Peggy Gou was nominated for International Song of the Year but did not win.
That day, "Golden," the original soundtrack (OST) from the Netflix animated film "K-Pop Demon Hunters," was also nominated for International Song of the Year alongside "APT."