- BTS will not be submitting their music for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards in protest against the Recording Academy's new Asian Pop category, which they believe may segregate popular Asian artists from the main categories.
- In statements issued via Instagram, each of the band’s seven members announced their decision, expressing a desire for their music to be heard and loved for its essence rather than categorized by region or language.
- ARIRANG, BTS's comeback album, will not be in contention for the awards due to their decision, despite having topped the Billboard 200 charts for two consecutive weeks earlier this year.
- Recording Academy's CEO Harvey Mason Jr. expressed sadness over BTS's decision, stating he understands and respects it, while defending the new category as a means to celebrate the diversity and growth of pop artistry from Asia.
- Mason emphasized that the introduction of more categories is intended to recognize more artists' works and is not meant to divide them.
BTS has announced they will not submit their music for the 2027 Grammy Awards, protesting the introduction of a new Asian Pop category. The band expressed a desire for their music to be appreciated without regional labels, stating they want it to be “heard and loved for what it is”.12
The decision means their latest album, “ARIRANG,” will not be in contention for the awards. The album topped the Billboard 200 charts for two consecutive weeks earlier this year, and the band is currently on a World Tour promoting it.3
In response, Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, expressed sadness over BTS's decision, stating, “I am saddened to hear that BTS has chosen not to participate in the Grammy Awards process this year, but as a music creator, I understand and respect their decision.” He defended the new category, emphasizing its purpose to “celebrate the depth, diversity and extraordinary growth of pop artistry coming out of Asia.”4
Mason further clarified that the introduction of more categories aims to recognize a wider array of artists, asserting that “Submitting music in a genre category…does not exclude an artist from also submitting and being considered in the General Field categories.” He noted that recognition in genre categories and the General Field are not mutually exclusive, allowing artists to pursue both.5
“BTS's decision means their comeback album 'ARIRANG', which topped the Billboard 200 for two weeks, will not be considered for awards. The Recording Academy's CEO stated he respects their choice but emphasized that the new category aims to celebrate Asian pop artistry, not to segregate.”
Forbes
