BTS withdraw from Grammys, a month after Asian pop prize introduced

What the report says

BBC World News reports that BTS will not put forward their music for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards, with all seven members sharing the same message on Instagram. According to the BBC, the translated statement said the group had decided not to enter this year’s awards and expressed hope that music would be appreciated without being separated by region or language.

The move comes about a month after the Recording Academy announced a new Grammy category for best Asian pop music performance. The BBC says the rules require songs in that category to include “meaningful use” of an Asian language, while BTS’s recent album Arirang is more than 80% in English. Its lead single Swim, which reached No. 1 in the US, had been viewed as a possible contender in major categories such as song of the year, while Arirang was expected to be in the album of the year conversation.

The BBC frames the decision against wider debate among K-pop fans over whether a dedicated Asian pop category celebrates Asian artists or confines them by geography and language. The Recording Academy had not responded at the time of the BBC report, and BBC News said it had sought comment.

BTS, formed in 2013, have received five Grammy nominations since 2020 but have not won. The BBC notes that all seven members have been Recording Academy voting members since 2019 and have performed at the Grammys several times. Their boycott adds them to a broader list of artists who have challenged or avoided the awards over concerns about recognition and categorization.