Why BTS Don’t Want a Grammy This Year

Global K-pop phenomenon BTS has announced its decision to forgo submitting music for the upcoming 69th Annual Grammy Awards, scheduled for February 7, 2027. This move marks a significant departure for the group, which had previously sought recognition from the Recording Academy, including its historic 2020 nomination for "Dynamite," the first for a Korean act.

The septet’s collective statement, shared across their Instagram platforms, expressed a desire for music to be appreciated without segmentation by language or region, implicitly critiquing the Academy’s recent structural changes. Central to their withdrawal is the introduction of a new category titled Best Asian Pop Music Performance. This category aims to acknowledge outstanding pop performances from Asian markets and includes genres such as K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop, emphasizing the use of Asian languages.

The Recording Academy’s CEO, Harvey Mason Jr., responded publicly, expressing regret over BTS’s choice but underscoring the category’s intent to highlight the diversity and growth of pop music from Asia. He clarified that artists submitting in regional or genre-specific categories remain eligible for general awards such as Album or Record of the Year. Mason framed the new category as an expansion rather than a division in the recognition of musical talent.

BTS’s decision is particularly notable given their recent resurgence after a four-year hiatus during which members pursued solo projects and fulfilled South Korea's mandatory military service requirements. Their comeback, marked by a live Seoul concert and the release of the album "Arirang," achieved impressive commercial success, topping the Billboard 200 and Apple Music charts globally.

Despite their global popularity and multiple nominations in categories such as Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video, BTS has yet to secure a Grammy win. Their absence from the submission process this year could signal a shift in priorities, as suggested by remarks from RM, the group’s leader, earlier in 2024. He indicated that the group’s focus has evolved beyond the pursuit of Grammy recognition, emphasizing reunion and fan engagement over industry accolades.

The Grammys are not the only U.S. music awards to have recently added K-pop-focused categories. The MTV Video Music Awards introduced a Best K-pop category in 2019, the American Music Awards added Favorite K-pop Artist in 2022, and the Billboard Music Awards expanded their recognition with four K-pop-related categories in 2023. BTS has garnered numerous accolades within these platforms, illustrating their broad impact across the American music landscape.

BTS’s withdrawal echoes previous high-profile criticisms of the Recording Academy’s nomination processes, including The Weeknd’s 2021 boycott over concerns about opaque nomination committees. While the Academy has since revised its voting systems, the ongoing debates highlight the challenges of fairly recognizing global music genres within traditional Western award frameworks.

Details on whether BTS will participate in future Grammy submissions remain unclear. However, their current stance underscores a growing conversation about how international artists are categorized and celebrated within major Western music institutions. As K-pop continues its global ascendancy, BTS’s actions may influence both the genre’s relationship with award bodies and conversations about inclusivity and recognition in the music industry at large.