Aug 04, 2026 11:53am IST
Recording Academy Denies Deleting BTS Grammy Performance Videos Amid Asian Pop Category Row, Cites Licensing Issues
As BTS decides to boycott the upcoming Grammy Awards, claiming discrimination to be at the forefront of their decision, there’s chatter about the Recording Academy retaliating against the boy group. Many fans noticed that the performance videos for the team’s “Dynamite” (2020) and “Butter” (2021) at the award show were no longer accessible. They questioned if this was a slap on the wrist for their boycott. According to a new report, the same is due to the license expiration of the videos and not a deliberate attempt to shut out the group.
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Responding to the many questions surrounding the disappearance of the videos, an official from the music organization has denied that spite was the reason behind it. “Past BTS performances were removed from the Grammys website and YouTube years ago as part of routine licensing expirations,” as per a report from the Korea JoongAng Daily. The representative for the Recording Academy added, “This is a standard practice for Grammy performances, as licensing terms vary and are typically limited to one year or less.”
This follows a social media update from RM, jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook as they collectively took a stand against the recent announcement of the Best Asian Pop Music Performance category in the Grammy Awards. On being announced as one of the new categories aiming to celebrate Asian music, BTS expressed their plans not to submit for the upcoming edition of the awards. They also wished for equality, writing, "We hope our music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language."
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Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. previously responded to the uproar, claiming that the category was made “to celebrate the depth, diversity and extraordinary growth of pop artistry coming out of Asia” and emphasized that it would not make any music ineligible for the general awards. Since then, industry experts have sided with the team as fans continue to rally for better representation and no discrimination.
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