BTS has announced its withdrawal from the 2027 Grammy Awards ceremony, with each of the seven members of the South Korean group posting statements on Instagram opposing the decision to add a dedicated award category for Asian pop music performance. The group stated their preference that music be appreciated for its artistic merit rather than segmented by geographic region or language.
The Recording Academy introduced the new Asian pop category alongside a separate award for best Latin song. Academy president Harvey Mason Jr. explained that the additions were made in response to feedback from music industry professionals requesting expanded opportunities to recognize emerging genres. Critics have raised concerns that creating a separate category specifically for Asian artists could effectively isolate them from contention in the main Grammy categories rather than expanding recognition.
The Recording Academy has not issued a public response to BTS’s withdrawal. The decision reflects ongoing tensions regarding how the awards program treats international artists, particularly from Asia. Historically, the Grammys have had limited representation from K-pop acts, with BTS becoming the first Korean pop group to receive nominations in 2021.
At this year’s Grammy Awards, K-pop had notable representation, including Golden from the film KPop Demon Hunters winning best song written for visual media, marking the first Grammy win for a K-pop track. Additionally, Rosé received nominations for her collaboration with Bruno Mars. However, both songs feature substantial English-language lyrics and may not have qualified for the new Asian pop category, which requires meaningful use of an Asian language. By contrast, BTS’s recent album Arirang contains material predominantly in Korean, making the group likely to fall directly under the new category’s purview.
The 2027 Grammy Awards ceremony will take place on 7 February in Los Angeles, with additional new categories including best R&B collaboration or duo/group performance and best traditional pop vocal performance.
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