Jul 29, 2026 11:56am IST
BTS Opt Out of Grammys 2027, Reject Newly Introduced Asian Pop Category
The members of BTS took to social media to announce that they will not submit their music for consideration for the upcoming Grammy Awards. This development is being seen as a protest by the group against the Recording Academy for the introduction of the new Best Asian Pop Performance Category.
BTS bandmates RM, Jin, Suga, j-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook posted individual stories, opening up about the decision. Their stories, posted from their individual accounts, noted, "We have decided not to submit for this year's Grammys. Rather than music being categorized by region or language, we hope music itself can be heard and loved for what it is. We sincerely thank ARMY and everyone who is always with us.”
Related Stories
This decision also comes despite BTS’ brand new album topping massive charts across the music industry. “ARIRANG,” the group’s fifth studio album and first after the end of the members’ military tenures, topped the Billboard 200 with 641,000 units, the biggest week for a group album in more than a decade. The title track “SWIM,” successfully debuted at Hot 100.
BTS members instagram story
— vjk ☆ (@koovarbie) July 29, 2026
"We have decided not to submit for this year's Grammys.
Rather than music being categorized by region or language, we hope music itself can be heard and loved for what it is.
We sincerely thank ARMY and everyone who is always with us" pic.twitter.com/VTHeUcttNj
For those unaware, the Grammys introduced the new category dedicated to Asian Pop, and comprising K-pop, J-pop (Japanese Pop) and C-pop (Chinese Pop). The songs eligible for the category should be “meaningfully using one or more Asian languages.” Songs with “isolated words, adlibs, or brief phrases” in Asian languages or made entirely using English lyrics won’t be eligible for the category. Explaining the move, Grammys CEO Harvey Mason Jr. had shared, “2027 is going to be an amazing year for the Grammy Awards, and one that reflects the extraordinary growth we're seeing across music. The changes advanced by our Recording Academy members speak to the breadth of today's music industry and the many genres, crafts and creators shaping it. We're excited to see these updates come to life in the year ahead as we celebrate the music people who are driving music forward."
Popular on Variety
Fans in and around social media had concerns of BTS and other Asian acts being sidelined from the six main categories, Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best New Artist, Producer of the Year, and Songwriter of the Year. Moreover, many have raised issues over the genre-specific categories being slotted in the pre-ceremonies, rather than the main award show.
Comments are moderated. They may be edited for clarity and reprinting in whole or in part in Variety publications.