BTS announced Wednesday that it will not submit its music for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards, a decision the group tied directly to the Recording Academy's newly created Best Asian Pop Music Performance category. All seven members - RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook - posted an identical statement across their individual social media accounts.
"We have decided not to submit our music to the Grammys this year," the group wrote. "We hope music can be heard and loved as music itself, rather than being divided by region or language." The members also thanked their fandom, ARMY, for their continued support.
The announcement comes just over a month after the Recording Academy unveiled the new category, one of five additions announced in June for the 69th Grammy Awards. The category is described as recognizing "artistic excellence in Asian pop music performances originating from or widely recognized within Asian markets," including K-pop, J-pop and C-pop, with meaningful use of an Asian language.
The category's introduction sparked immediate debate online, with some viewing it as overdue recognition for a genre that has reshaped global charts, and others arguing it risks sidelining Asian artists from the Grammys' major all-genre categories.
The timing stings for BTS specifically. The group is in the middle of a breakout comeback year: its fifth studio album, "Arirang," released in March following the members' completion of mandatory military service, topped the Billboard 200 with the biggest week for a group album in over a decade, while lead single "SWIM" debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100. BTS had earned three consecutive Grammy nominations for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance between 2021 and 2023 but has never won.
The group's statement stopped short of ruling out future Grammy participation, leaving the door open for next year's cycle.
