BTS decline Grammys entry over new Asian Pop category
Developed over time first seen 3 months ago
BTS have declined to submit their new album 'Arirang' for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards, in response to the Recording Academy's newly introduced Best Asian Pop Music Performance category. All seven members posted an identical statement on Instagram Stories saying they hope their music "can be heard and loved for itself" rather than divided by region or language, a decision that reignited debate over whether dedicated ethnic or regional award categories help or hinder the recognition of non-Western artists at major Western ceremonies. The Recording Academy has not publicly responded to the band's decision.
The new category requires entries to make meaningful use of an Asian language and excludes songs performed entirely in English, a rule that would have barred BTS's English-language track 'Swim' from eligibility. Submissions for the category, confirmed for the ceremony on 7 February 2027, ran from 7 July to 28 August. NME had previously criticised the creation of the category, arguing pop music should not be segregated by geography, ethnicity or language, while commentators suggested such a category risks sidelining Asian artists from broader awards like Album of the Year.
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In short
- BTS won't enter 'Arirang' for the 2027 Grammys.
- Move follows new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category.
- Category excludes all-English songs like BTS's 'Swim'.
How this story developed
- 3 months ago BTS announced they will withhold their new album 'Arirang' from Grammy consideration for the 2027 ceremony, pushing back against the Recording Academy's newly confirmed Best Asian Pop Music Performance category, which they say risks pigeonholing their music by region and language rather than judging it on its own merits.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters of the new category argue that dedicated recognition for Asian-language pop music corrects a long-standing blind spot at the Grammys, where artists singing in Korean, Japanese, Mandarin or other Asian languages have historically been overlooked for major awards regardless of commercial or artistic merit. They see a defined category as a practical way to guarantee visibility and voting attention for a rapidly growing global genre, rather than leaving such acts to compete, and often lose out, against English-language pop in categories where language and cultural familiarity may unconsciously sway voters. On this view, targeted categories are a stepping stone that builds industry recognition and audience awareness, not a ceiling, and can coexist with eligibility for top-tier awards like Album of the Year.
The case against
Critics, including BTS and outlets such as NME, contend that a language-defined category risks doing the opposite of what it intends: instead of integrating Asian artists into the mainstream conversation, it can effectively wall them off into a niche box, making it easier for voters and juries to overlook them entirely for the top general-field awards. They argue that music should be judged on its own merits rather than sorted by the ethnicity or nationality of its performers, and that excluding English-language tracks by Asian artists, such as BTS's 'Swim', from a category ostensibly meant to represent them is an awkward illustration of how such rules can misfire. For these critics, the goal of equal recognition is better served by ensuring fair consideration within existing universal categories than by creating a separate lane defined by geography or language.
Explained simply
BTS are one of the world's biggest pop acts, a seven-member South Korean group known for blending Korean-language lyrics with global chart success. The Grammy Awards, run by the US-based Recording Academy, are widely seen as the most prestigious music prizes in the industry, and having a K-pop act engage with the ceremony has long been notable given the awards' historical focus on English-language, Western artists.
For 2027, the Recording Academy has created a new prize, Best Asian Pop Music Performance, aimed at recognising pop music from Asia. To qualify, a song must feature meaningful use of one or more Asian languages, which means tracks performed entirely in English are not eligible, regardless of who made them.
This has reignited a broader debate about how award shows should handle artists from outside the traditional English-language pop mainstream. Some argue that dedicated categories help ensure recognition for music that might otherwise be overlooked, while others say they risk boxing non-Western artists into a separate lane rather than letting them compete for the top overall prizes.
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Originally published by NME as “BTS refuse to submit to Grammys in response to new Asian Pop category: “We hope our music can be heard and loved for what it is””.