Photo by Gabby Rodriguez | The Triangle
For years, a Grammy win appeared to be one of BTS’ few remaining goals. The group earned five nominations, performed multiple times at the ceremony, and helped make Korean pop more mainstream in the United States, but a win never came. Now, following one of the year’s biggest musical comebacks, BTS is choosing not to compete. On July 29, RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook announced that they would not submit their music for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards. Each member posted the same statement on Instagram, saying they hoped their music could be “heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language.”
The announcement came a few weeks after the Recording Academy introduced Best Asian Pop Music Performance, a new category to honor music associated with Asian pop markets including K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said the new award was established to celebrate the rise of Asian pop and to give more artists the chance to be recognized by Grammy voters. Artists who submit in the category still are qualified for the general field, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
The category has nevertheless divided artists and listeners. Supporters view it as long-overdue recognition for Asian musicians who have struggled to receive attention from Grammy voters despite achieving worldwide commercial success. A dedicated category, they argue, could create more opportunities for artists who have historically been overlooked.
Critics argue that the award groups artists from different countries and music industries under a single regional label, even if K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop represent different markets and musical traditions. The language requirement has also attracted criticism. An Asian artist releasing a song entirely in English would not qualify for the new category, even though that artist could still compete in the Grammys’ pop and general categories.
Much of BTS’ Grammy recognition came through their English-language releases. “Dynamite” earned BTS its first Grammy nomination in 2020, followed by “Butter” and “My Universe” with Coldplay in Best Pop Duo or Group Performance. “Yet to Come” later received a Best Music Video nomination, while Coldplay’s “Music of the Spheres,” which featured BTS, was nominated for Album of the Year. Fans have questioned why the academy embraced BTS’ English-language songs more readily than its Korean-language releases.The controversy grew after the live recordings of BTS’ 2021 “Dynamite” performance and 2022 “Butter” performance were no longer available on the official Grammys website. The videos remain accessible through BTS’s official channels, but their disappearance from the academy’s site prompted criticism from fans because it followed the group’s withdrawal announcement. The Recording Academy has not commented on the change. BTS made the announcement after returning with one of the biggest albums of the year. “ARIRANG” marked BTS’ first group album since completing mandatory military service in South Korea, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and topping Apple Music charts in more than 100 countries and regions. Before the announcement, the album was considered a likely Grammy contender.
RM hinted earlier this year that the group’s priorities had changed. In a February interview with GQ, he said the Grammys had once been a shared goal for BTS, but returning as a group and performing together again mattered more.
Best Asian Pop Music Performance will debut at the 2027 Grammy Awards despite BTS’ decision. Other artists remain eligible to submit their work, while the academy prepares for the first year of the new category without one of its biggest global acts.