BTS Refuse to Submit for 2027 Grammys, Critics‑Fools‑out on Asian Pop Category
In a unified Instagram post, the seven members of South‑Korean pop outliers BTS reaffirmed the group’s decision not to submit any of their recent albums or singles for the 2027 Grammy Awards. The message, translated into English from Korean, reads: "We have decided not to enter the Grammys this year. We hope that music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language. Thank you to Army and everyone who is always with us."
The band’s choice follows the Recording Academy’s introduction of a Best Asian Pop Music Performance category last month. Under new voting rules, the award requires a “meaningful use” of an Asian language in the song – a condition that automatically excludes BTS’s *Arirang* (over 80% English) and the U‑S‑number‑one “Swim.” Grammys’ editorial team has not yet responded to the group’s publicly‑posted statement.
BTS – who first received a Grammy nomination in 2021 for their English‑only track “Dynamite” – have claimed the new category “pigeonholes” Asian artists, mirroring fan complaints that the awards still differentiate between Western and non‑Western acts. The decision aligns the boyband with a lineage of artists who have chosen to boycott the ceremony for reasons ranging from perceived oversight of black music to dissatisfaction with the Academy’s lobbying politics.
Critics point out that the Grammys have been making strides to widen its voting academy, adding Korean talent such as Jungwon from Enhypen and Woozi from Seventeen since 2025. Yet streaming numbers show that K‑pop remains a global juggernaut, a fact that clashes with the Academy’s newly‑launched categorisation policies.
Fans across the world have mixed feelings. Some applaud the band for standing against a funding process that they see as “disrespectful,” while others welcome the decision as part of a larger conversation about how global music is judged.
The band’s message stands as a timely reminder that the definition of music awards continues to evolve, and that language and regional identity play an increasingly controversial role in the global recognition of artistry.
