BTS boycott Grammys after the Recording Academy introduced a best Asian pop music performance category for the 2027 awards, the group said on Instagram.
Each of the seven members of the South Korean group wrote that they had decided not to enter the Grammys this year, adding that they hoped music would be heard and loved for what it is rather than being divided by region or language.
The posts were a pointed, if measured, critique of the new category, which the Academy announced last month.
BTS boycott Grammys amid debate over new category
Announcing the Asian pop award alongside a best Latin song category, Recording Academy president Harvey Mason Jr said the additions followed feedback from the music community seeking more opportunities to recognize different and new genres. The wording drew criticism, since Asian and Latin pop markets are long established and command large audiences and revenues, including in the United States. Industry observers have warned the new category could effectively steer Asian pop acts away from the general fields.
The Recording Academy has not commented on BTS’s move.
Asian pop artists have historically had limited recognition at the US-centric awards. No K-pop act received a nomination until BTS in 2021. This year’s ceremony saw notable milestones. Golden, from the film KPop Demon Hunters, won best song written for visual media, marking the first Grammy win for a K-pop act. Golden also competed for song of the year, one of the top four awards, alongside Rosé’s duet with Bruno Mars, APT. Rosé was additionally nominated for record of the year and best pop duo/group performance, but those prizes went to US or British artists.
Most lyrics in Golden and APT are in English, which may have made them ineligible for the Asian pop category that requires meaningful use of an Asian language. By contrast, BTS’s recent album Arirang is largely in Korean, which would likely have placed them squarely in contention for the new award.
This year’s Grammys also produced a separate first, with Bad Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos becoming the first Spanish-language album to take album of the year.
Additional categories slated for 2027 include best R&B collaboration or duo/group performance, best traditional pop vocal performance, and best traditional folk album. The 2027 Grammy Awards are scheduled for 7 February in Los Angeles.
Golden, from the film KPop Demon Hunters, won best song written for visual media, marking the first Grammy win for a K-pop act, a milestone that echoes research such as a recent study pointing to a linguistic golden age 3,000 years ago in highlighting the long history of linguistic and cultural innovation.