Members of the K-pop supergroup BTS announced on Wednesday that they will not submit any music for consideration at next year’s Grammy Awards. The decision comes just over a month after the Recording Academy confirmed that the 2027 ceremony will introduce a new category for Asian pop music performance.
In a statement shared by all seven members on Instagram, the band declared, “We have decided not to submit to the Grammys this year,” adding, “I hope that music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language.”
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. addressed the development in a statement to, noting his sadness regarding the group’s choice to abstain from the process. However, he emphasized that as a music creator, he respects their decision. Mason Jr. defended the new category, stating it was designed to celebrate the growth and diversity of pop artistry from Asia and to provide a dedicated spotlight for those artists. He clarified that artists submitting in genre-specific categories like Asian pop remain eligible for general field awards, such as Record of the Year.
The group’s decision has sparked debate among fans and industry experts regarding the implications of geographic-based awards. While the Grammys already feature categories like Best Latin Jazz Album and Best African Music Performance, some critics argue that the new Asian pop category effectively sidelines artists. Matthew Pellegrino, a K-pop expert and music teacher at NYU Steinhardt, labeled the category “unnecessary.” He argued that it places Asian artists into a separate box, potentially creating an unequal playing field compared to mainstream American pop artists. Pellegrino also questioned the logic behind such classifications, asking, “Where is this arbitrary line drawn, and why? Bruno Mars has Asian heritage, should he be in the Asian Grammy category? Or perhaps the Latin Grammy category?”
Fans of the group have expressed mixed reactions, with many supporting the band’s stance. Will Scragg, a 27-year-old fan from the United Kingdom, described the move as a dignified response to what he perceives as a way to keep BTS out of more prestigious categories. Eleri Williams, a fan from Wales who has seen the band perform globally, echoed these sentiments, suggesting that the category functions as a form of segregation rather than inclusion.
The controversy is compounded by specific Grammy rules for the 69th ceremony in February. According to official guidelines, a song is eligible for only one performance category per year. This means that if BTS were to submit a track for Best Asian Pop Music Performance, they would be barred from entering that same song into the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category, where they previously earned nominations in 2021 and 2022.
BTS has maintained a massive international profile since their formation in 2010. Their accolades include five Billboard Music Awards for Top Social Artist between 2017 and 2021, and they were named Artist of the Year at the American Music Awards in 2021 and 2026. In 2022, they became the most awarded group in Billboard Music Award history. Their recent comeback was highly anticipated following a four-year hiatus during which all seven members fulfilled South Korea’s mandatory military service. Their sixth Korean-language album, “Arirang,” released in March, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and topped charts in 23 countries, including Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The report also notes that bTS have enjoyed massive success since forming in 2010. The report also notes that bTS “incapsulate everything I love about music,” Will Scragg, 27, told. The report also notes that their sixth Korean-language album, “Arirang,” stormed the international charts when it was released back in March, debuting at number 1 on the Billboard 200 and reaching the top spot in 23 countries, including the United. The report also notes that but some fans fear the introduction of an award defined by geography minimizes the value of artists’ work. The report also notes that the English superfan has seen the band twice this summer — once in his hometown of London and again traveling overseas to Munich. The report also notes that “I really appreciate the amount of effort they put into everything. The report also notes that and witnessing all of that live is such an amazing and worthwhile experience.”, they truly love performing. The report also notes that their sixth Korean-language album, “Arirang,” stormed the international charts when it was released back in March, debuting at number 1 on the Billboard 200 and reaching the top spot in 23 countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan.
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