BTS Announces it Will Not Submit Music for 2027 Grammy Consideration
The move has been called a protest against the new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category
Today, the titanic K-pop group BTS confirmed it will not submit music to be considered for the 2027 Grammy Awards. The Korea Times reported this as a protest against the new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category, based on a statement the group released via Instagram stories.
What they said:
BTS: "We have decided not to submit our music to the Grammys this year. We hope music can be heard and loved as music itself, rather than being divided by region or language."
Why it matters:
Given that “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters became the first K-pop song to win Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 2026 Grammys and Best Original Song at the 2026 Academy Awards, the industry seemed open to recognizing the genre on a grander scale.
However, BTS backing out of the Grammys due to the new category demonstrates dissatisfaction within the Asian artist community vis-à-vis how they are being celebrated.
Background:
BTS released its new album, ARIRANG, back in March, which easily could have been considered a contender for Album of the Year.
It topped the Billboard 200 upon release, with the single “SWIM” leading the Hot 100 as well.
👋 Disclosures & Transparency Block
This article was written with information sourced from The Korea Times.
We covered it because BTS are a major act, and their choice to sit out the Grammys paints a clear picture of sociocultural dynamics within the music industry.
