BTS withdraws music from 2027 Grammys after Recording Academy adds Best Asian Pop Music Performance category

The announcement

On Wednesday, all seven members of BTS (RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook) posted an identical statement to their individual Instagram Stories. The group said they "have decided not to submit for Grammy consideration this year."

We have decided not to submit for Grammy consideration this year. We hope our music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language. We thank Army and everyone who has always stood by us.

The timing of the announcement, just over a month after the Recording Academy unveiled five new categories for the 69th Grammy Awards, points directly to the new Best Asian Pop Music Performance prize. The category requires "meaningful use of one or more Asian languages" in eligible recordings. BTS's latest album, "Arirang," released in March, has more than 80% of its lyrics in English, according to the BBC. The lead single "Swim," a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1, would have been excluded from the new award under those rules. Songs performed entirely in English are not eligible.

The category and the criticism

The Recording Academy described the new award as recognizing "artistic excellence in Asian pop music performances originating from or widely recognized within Asian markets, including but not limited to K-pop, J-pop and C-pop." The introduction drew a mixed reception in K-pop spaces online, with many fans complaining that instead of celebrating Asian artists, the Grammys had pigeonholed them. In Teen Vogue, writer Ayan Artan argued the change could be seen as "part of a history of gatekeeping non-white artists from major award categories."

Tokenistic inclusion that dresses up white bias as recognition.

BTS is the first artist to publicly withdraw from the awards in response to the new category. Several outlets report that the Recording Academy has not yet issued a comment; BBC News, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and The Independent have all reached out for a statement.

A banner comeback year

BTS returned to group activities last year after completing South Korea's mandatory military service, which had kept the seven members off stages for three years. "Arirang" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with the biggest opening week for a group album in more than a decade, while also topping charts in the UK, South Korea, Japan, and Germany. The music video for "Swim" was filmed in Portugal. Expectations for the band at the 2027 Grammys had been running high: "Arirang" was widely tipped as a contender for Album of the Year, and "Swim" for Song of the Year. BTS became the first K-pop group ever nominated for a Grammy in 2019 and has since accumulated four nominations without a win. All seven members have been voting members of the Recording Academy since 2019.

Broader Grammy tensions

The withdrawal echoes previous Grammy boycotts in recent years. The Weeknd declined to submit his music after receiving no nominations in 2021. Drake pulled two of his own nominations the following year. The Recording Academy has been grappling for several years with how to reflect K-pop's growing global popularity; last year it expanded its voting body to include more prominent South Korean artists and producers.

What comes next

BTS is currently on the "World Tour Arirang." The European leg wrapped in Paris after drawing an estimated 720,000 total attendees across the run, according to Variety. On July 19, the group performed at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Halftime Show at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, delivering an 11-minute set that included their 2020 hit "Dynamite" and shared the stage with Madonna, Shakira, and Justin Bieber. It was the first halftime show in the tournament's 96-year history. The U.S. leg of the tour resumes on August 1 at the same venue. The 69th Grammy Awards take place on February 7, 2027, without BTS on the ballot.