BTS skips Grammys 2027 submission for ARIRANG
BTS said it will not submit ARIRANG for 2027 Grammy consideration after the Recording Academy added a new Asian pop category.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
BTS will not put ARIRANG forward for the BTS Grammys 2027 race, with all seven members sharing the same statement on Instagram Stories explaining the decision.
RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook posted syndicated messages across their accounts. According to Instagram’s Korean-to-English translation, the statement said the group had decided not to enter the Grammys this year and hoped music could be heard and loved without being separated by region or language.
Each member also thanked ARMY, the group’s fandom, and supporters who have stayed with them, according to the shared posts.
Why is BTS skipping the Grammys?
BTS tied its decision to a wish that music not be divided by geography or language, according to the translated Instagram statement. The group did not mention a specific Grammy category by name in the posts.
The timing is drawing attention because the Recording Academy announced five new categories in June for the 2027 awards, including Best Asian Pop Music Performance. According to the Academy, that prize is meant to recognize performances in Asian pop music that come from, or are widely recognized in, Asian markets, including K-pop, J-pop and C-pop, with meaningful use of one or more Asian languages.
For artists, entering Grammy consideration is the step that puts eligible music before Recording Academy voters. By skipping that step for ARIRANG, BTS is keeping the album out of the 2027 Grammy submission pool.
What is the new Grammy category?
The Recording Academy’s rules place Best Asian Pop Music Performance outside major awards such as Album of the Year and Record of the Year. The category groups several Asian pop fields together under one award, according to the Academy’s description and rulebook.
That setup has faced criticism from K-pop fans and writers. Teen Vogue writer Ayan Artan argued that the new award fits into a longer pattern of keeping non-white artists away from the Grammys’ biggest categories once their work becomes a serious contender.
Essence writer Terrell Couch made a related criticism after the Academy split Best Country Album into Traditional and Contemporary categories following Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter winning Album of the Year, according to the report. The BBC also reported that the Grammys added Best Latin Song after Bad Bunny’s Spanish-language Debí Tirar Más Fotos won Album of the Year.
ARIRANG arrived as BTS returned from hiatus
ARIRANG was released in March and marked BTS’s comeback after a four-year break. During that gap, the members completed South Korea’s mandatory military service and worked on solo projects, according to Mashable.
The album and its lead single, SWIM, both opened at No. 1 on Billboard charts, Billboard reported. NPR praised the album, and Mashable reported that the group’s 34-city, 82-show ARIRANG world tour is close to fully sold out.
BTS has a long history with the Grammys despite this year’s decision. The Recording Academy’s artist page lists the group with five nominations, and BTS has performed at the ceremony several times, including at the 64th Grammy Awards in Las Vegas in 2022.
Fan reaction online has largely backed the move, according to social posts cited by Mashable. Mashable also reported that it contacted the Recording Academy and HYBE, the company that owns BTS’s label Big Hit Music, for comment.
This story draws on original reporting from Mashable.