BTS opts out of 2027 Grammys over new category concerns

BTS will not submit its music for consideration at the 69th Grammy Awards in 2027, the group announced Wednesday, citing concerns over the Recording Academy's newly created Best Asian Pop Music Performance category.

In a statement shared to the Instagram Stories of all seven members, BTS said it had chosen not to enter its work for Grammy consideration this year.

"We hope music can be heard and loved as music itself, rather than being divided by region or language," the statement read. The group also thanked its fanbase, known as ARMY, for its continued support.

The announcement comes about a month after the Recording Academy unveiled five new Grammy categories: Best Asian Pop Music Performance, Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance, Best Latin Song, Best R&B Collaboration, and Best Traditional Folk Album. According to the academy, Asian pop category is intended to recognize recordings that originate from or are widely recognized in Asian music markets, including K-pop, J-pop and C-pop. Eligible recordings may also feature significant use of one or more Asian languages, while songs performed entirely in English do not qualify.

The addition of the category has prompted debate among fans and industry observers, with some arguing that it creates a separate lane for Asian artists and segregates them from the general and major categories like Album of the Year.

BTS returned as a full group earlier this year following the completion of the members' mandatory military service in South Korea. Their fifth studio album ARIRANG, released in March, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, while its lead single, "SWIM," became the group's seventh number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

The group has received five Grammy nominations across three award cycles, but has yet to win. BTS earned its first nomination in 2021 for "Dynamite" in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category, followed by nominations for "Butter" in 2022 and "My Universe," its collaboration with Coldplay, in 2023. Also in 2023, the group also received nominations for Best Music Video for "Yet to Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)" and Album of the Year as featured artists on Coldplay's Music of the Spheres. BTS has also performed on the Grammy Awards telecast three times: 2020, 2021, 2023.

The group’s decision regarding next year’s Grammys marks one of the most high-profile responses to the Recording Academy's new Asian pop category and could influence broader conversations about how global artists engage with the awards show. Whether other Asian artists or K-pop acts will also choose not to submit their music remains to be seen, as the industry continues to react to the academy's changes.