Pop group BTS withdrew themselves from consideration for the 2027 Grammy Awards, with all seven members posting identical statements criticising the addition of a new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category. The group argued music should not be divided by region or language ahead of the ceremony scheduled for February 7, 2027, in Los Angeles.
Global pop powerhouse BTS has formally stepped back from the upcoming Grammy cycle, opting out of submitting their latest comeback album, Arirang, for consideration at the 69th annual awards. The decision, shared through synchronized posts on Instagram by members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook, challenges the Recording Academy’s recent structural additions.
The move comes in direct response to the introduction of the Best Asian Pop Music Performance category, which the Recording Academy announced in mid-June. While the Academy framed the new category as a step toward celebrating different and new genres, the decision has ignited a debate across the international music community regarding regional categorization.
Why BTS and Fans Are Rejecting the Asian Pop Category
When Academy President Harvey Mason Jr. unveiled the Asian Pop and Latin Song categories, he stated that the change stemmed from our music community sharing with us a desire for more opportunities to celebrate different and new genres of music. Yet that explanation drew pushback from fans and industry observers who viewed the separate classification with skepticism.
Critics labeled the new field another glass ceiling
, arguing that carving out a specific regional space risks ring-fencing Asian artists away from the main general-field categories like Album or Record of the Year. For a group that has earned five Grammy nominations since 2021—being the first K-pop group to be nominated in 2021—being shunted into a geographical subcategory felt counterproductive.
“We have decided not to enter 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.”
BTS, via Instagram
Furthermore, the eligibility rules for the new category require a meaningful use of one or more Asian languages. Because the majority of tracks on the group’s album Arirang are predominantly in English, the record might have faced complicated qualification hurdles anyway, though the group’s unequivocal withdrawal sidesteps the issue entirely.
Industry Fallout and Complex Precedents
The boycott highlights a tension between global commercial dominance and traditional institutional recognition. Music critic Lim Hee-yun noted that BTS’ decision reflects the group’s unique position, pointing out that massive worldwide popularity does not always translate into full recognition from traditional institutions in the United States.
Lim added that when artists possessing the cultural influence of BTS push back against geographic partitioning, it forces award shows to rethink their approach. Other major U.S. music ceremonies—including the Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards, and MTV Video Music Awards—have also introduced K-pop categories, often meeting similar fan criticism.
Despite the group’s high-profile exit, HYBE, BTS’s agency, clarified that the move is not a label-wide boycott. Other artists signed to the agency remain free to pursue submissions if they choose to do so.
Deadlines and the Road to Los Angeles
The Recording Academy has yet to issue a formal comment regarding the boycott. Submission windows for the upcoming ceremony opened on July 7 and are scheduled to close on August 28. While fans grapple with the absence of the group from the upcoming ballot, the ceremony will take place on February 7, 2027, in Los Angeles, proceeding without the group as the Arirang World Tour continues.
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