Why BTS Is Skipping the 2027 Grammys Over New Asian Pop Category

BTS Rejects 2027 Grammy Submissions

K-pop supergroup BTS announced they will not submit any music—including their comeback album ARIRANG—for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards.

All seven members (RM, Jin, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook) simultaneously posted a statement to their individual Instagram accounts stating:

“We have decided not to submit to the Grammys this year. I 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 statement directly targets the Recording Academy’s newly established Best Asian Pop Music Performance category. Introduced in June as one of five new categories, the award requires recordings to feature “meaningful use” of an Asian language. Ironically, BTS’s Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 English single “SWIM” would have been excluded from the category regardless due to language criteria.

Recording Academy Response

Following the group’s announcement, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. issued a statement addressing their withdrawal and clarifying the intention behind the new category:

“I am saddened to hear that BTS has chosen not to participate in the Grammy Awards process this year, but as a music creator, I understand and respect their decision.

“The Asian Pop category was created to celebrate the depth, diversity and extraordinary growth of pop artistry coming out of Asia. The spirit of this new category is to shine a dedicated spotlight on these important artists. More categories mean more artists’ work is recognized. It’s never to divide, but to expand who is recognized by our 15,000 Grammy voters.

“I also want to be very clear: submitting music in a genre category such as Asian Pop, or Jazz or Country does not exclude an artist from also submitting and being considered in the General Field categories, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year. Those categories remain open to any eligible recording, regardless of genre. Recognition in a genre category and recognition in the General Field are not mutually exclusive. An artist can absolutely pursue both.”

Comeback Success and Grammy History

The boycott arrives during a landmark year for the group following the completion of their mandatory military service. Released in March 2026, ARIRANG debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 641,000 units, marking the biggest opening week for a group album in over a decade.

BTS has previously earned five Grammy nominations, including three consecutive nods for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance (“Dynamite,” “Butter,” and “My Universe” with Coldplay). They join a growing list of major artists—including Drake, The Weeknd, and Morgan Wallen—who have previously declined to submit work to the Recording Academy.