BTS will not submit any music for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards, the K-pop group announced Wednesday, in what many read as an implicit rebuke of the Recording Academy’s newly created Best Asian Pop Music Performance category.
All seven members posted an identical statement simultaneously to their individual Instagram accounts.
“We have decided not to submit to the Grammys this year. I hope that music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language. Thank you to ARMY and everyone who is always with us.”
The announcement marks the first time the group has opted out of the awards process since their Grammy nominations began, and comes just over a month after the Academy unveiled the new category on 16 June, which recognises “artistic excellence in Asian pop music performances originating from or widely recognized within Asian markets, including but not limited to K-pop, J-pop and C-pop, with meaningful use of one or more Asian languages.”
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. responded with a statement of his own.
“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 wrote, before pushing back on how the category had been characterised.
“The Asian Pop category was created to celebrate the depth, diversity and extraordinary growth of pop artistry coming out of Asia. The spirit of this new category is to shine a dedicated spotlight on these important artists. More categories mean more artists’ work is recognised. It’s never to divide, but to expand who is recognized by our 15,000 Grammy voters.”
BTS has previously been nominated for Grammys, including in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video categories, but has never won.
The group returned from a years-long hiatus in March with their fifth studio album and performed at the FIFA World Cup final halftime show earlier this month.
The online entry period for the 69th Grammy Awards runs from 7 July through 21 August.
