BTS has announced that it will not submit its music for the Grammy Awards 2027 following the introduction of the new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category. The decision has sparked debate across the music industry, with Grammy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. Sharing an official statement after getting a lot of backlash from the ARMY.
Published: July 30, 2026, 11:54 AM IST
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BTS (PC: Twitter)
BTS has once again found itself at the centre of a global conversation and this time, not because of a new album or ongoing world tour, but because of its decision to stay away from the Grammy Awards 2027. The seven-member group confirmed that it will not submit its music for Grammy consideration this year after the Recording Academy introduced a new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category. Since 2020, BTS has been nominated five times, becoming the first K-pop act to break into the major Grammy conversation and marking its entry in the Western music awards. Despite the milestones, the group has yet to take home a Grammy win, making its choice to step away from the Grammy 2027 race. In a statement shared by all seven members, BTS said they will not submit any music for Grammys 2027. Soon after, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. addressed the controversy and explained the thinking behind the new category.
Why BTS is boycotting Grammys 2027?
BTS said they have decided not to submit any of their music for consideration at the 69th Grammy Awards. In a joint message shared on Instagram, the members wrote (in Korean language), “We’ve decided not to submit our work for this year’s Grammy Awards. We hope music will be recognised and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language. Thank you, as always, to ARMY and everyone who supports us.”
The group’s decision comes just weeks after the Recording Academy announced the Best Asian Pop Music Performance category, which is set to debut at the 2027 Grammy Awards. The category recognises pop music originating from Asian markets, including K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop. While the Academy described it as an effort to expand recognition, BTS’s statement suggests the group believes music should compete on an equal level regardless of where it comes from.
All seven BTS members stand united in their decision not to submit to the Grammys this year. ✊
“We’ve decided not to submit our work for this year’s Grammy Awards. We hope music will be recognized and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language. Thank… pic.twitter.com/x5WCRtZsav
— BTS Daily⁷ (@btsdaily77) July 29, 2026
Despite massive commercial success with their comeback album ARIRANG and hit single Swim, the group chose to opt out of submitting any work for the Grammy 2027 award ceremony set to happen on February 7, 2027.
Grammy CEO shares statement after BTS announces skipping Grammys 2027
Following BTS’s announcement, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. released a statement saying he was saddened by the group’s decision but respected their choice. He took to Instagram and shared, “I am saddened to hear that BTS has chosen not to participate in the Grammy Awards process this year, but as a music creator, I understand and respect their decision.” He further wrote, “I do want to clarify something that seems to be getting lost in the conversation. The Asian Pop category was created to celebrate the depth, diversity and extraordinary growth of pop artistry coming out of Asia. The spirit of this new category is to shine a dedicated spotlight on these important artists. More categories mean more artists’ work is recognised. It’s never to divide, but to expand who is recognised by our 15,000 Grammy voters.”
He explained that the new Asian Pop category was created to celebrate the diversity and growth of pop music across Asia, not to separate artists from mainstream recognition. Mason Jr. also clarified that submitting music to a genre-specific category does not prevent artists from being considered for the General Field awards, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year.
He added that creating more categories is intended to recognise more artists rather than divide them and said the Recording Academy would continue listening to the global music community.
BTS has enjoyed massive success worldwide and has broken several barriers for Korean artists in the global music industry. The group became the first K-pop act to receive major Grammy nominations and has performed at the awards ceremony on multiple occasions. Despite earning several nominations over the years, the group has not yet won a Grammy award.
