Grammys CEO reacts to BTS’ backing out in protest to Asian pop category
The chief executive of the Recording Academy, Harvey Mason Jr, has responded after BTS said they would not submit their album 'Arirang' to the Grammys' new Best Asian Pop Music category in protest. BTS argued that music should be appreciated "beyond regions or languages", while Mason Jr said he respected the group's decision but stressed the category was designed to spotlight, not divide, artists from Asian markets.
The Grammys recently confirmed the new category, which requires entries to feature meaningful use of one or more Asian languages, aiming to recognise the growth of pop artistry from Asia. Mason Jr noted that artists remain eligible for General Field categories such as Record, Album and Song of the Year regardless of whether they enter a genre category, calling the two "not mutually exclusive". The 2027 Grammy Awards will take place on 7th February, with submissions open from 7th July to 28th August.
- BTS refuse to submit 'Arirang' for new Grammys Asian pop category.
- Grammys CEO Harvey Mason Jr says he respects, understands their protest.
- Category launched to spotlight Asian pop artists, not divide them.
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 it addresses a longstanding gap in mainstream recognition for artists working in Asian languages and markets. A dedicated award can make such work more visible to voters and audiences who may otherwise overlook it, while retaining full eligibility for the Grammys’ top general awards. On this view, the category is an additional platform rather than a boundary, intended to reflect the scale and artistic range of Asian pop.
The case against
Critics, including BTS’s position, can reasonably argue that organising music around regional or linguistic criteria risks reinforcing the idea that Asian-language work belongs in a separate lane. They may contend that songs and albums should compete primarily on artistic merit across shared categories, especially when international artists already reach global audiences. From this perspective, even a well-intended category could unintentionally limit cultural exchange or encourage voters to treat language as a genre.
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