Global K-pop group BTS has announced that it will not submit its music for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards, following the Recording Academy’s introduction of a new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category.
The decision was revealed on Wednesday through coordinated statements posted on the members’ individual Instagram accounts.
According to the group, the move reflects its belief that music should be appreciated on artistic merit rather than being classified by language or geographic origin.
“We have decided not to enter the Grammys this year,” the members said, adding that they hope music is “heard and loved for what it is, rather than being defined by region or language.”
BTS had been widely expected to contend for several of the Grammy Awards’ major honours after the commercial success of ARIRANG, their comeback album, which has emerged as one of the year’s best-selling releases.
Named after the iconic Korean folk song, ARIRANG blends Korean and English lyrics while exploring themes of identity and the group’s return following mandatory military service.
Under the Recording Academy’s revised eligibility rules, however, the album would not qualify for the newly created Best Asian Pop Music Performance category because entries must make “meaningful use” of at least one Asian language.
The Recording Academy unveiled five new Grammy categories last month, describing the Asian pop award as a recognition of artistic excellence in music originating from or widely recognised across Asian markets, including K-pop, J-pop and C-pop.
The addition has sparked mixed reactions, with some industry observers arguing that the category celebrates Asian music, while others believe it risks separating Asian artistes from competition in the Grammys’ mainstream categories.
BTS remains one of the most successful K-pop acts in history, becoming the first all-South Korean group to top the Billboard Hot 100 with its 2020 hit Dynamite. Although the group has received multiple Grammy nominations and performed at the awards ceremony, it has yet to win a Grammy.
