BTS skip Grammy 2027 consideration after category change
BTS says it will not submit music for the 2027 Grammys, weeks after the Recording Academy added a Best Asian Pop Music Performance category.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
BTS Grammy 2027 hopes are officially off the table: the group announced Wednesday that it will not submit its music for consideration at the 69th Grammy Awards, scheduled for Feb. 7, 2027.
All seven members, RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook, shared the same statement on their individual Instagram accounts.
“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 statement said.
Why is BTS not submitting for the 2027 Grammys?
The members did not name a specific Grammy category or criticize the Recording Academy directly in their statement. BTS said it wanted its music heard “for what it is,” rather than separated by “region or language.”
The decision comes a little over a month after the Recording Academy introduced a Best Asian Pop Music Performance category. The academy describes the award as recognizing “artistic excellence in Asian pop music performances originating from or widely recognized within Asian markets,” including K-pop, J-pop and C-pop, with meaningful use of at least one Asian language.
According to the Recording Academy’s category description, the award is presented to the performing artist or artists.
What is BTS’ Grammy history?
According to Variety, BTS has received Grammy nominations before, including in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video categories, but the group has not won. Variety also reported that all seven BTS members have been voting members of the Recording Academy since 2019.
Anticipation around a possible BTS win had been high before the announcement. The group released its fifth studio album, “Arirang,” in March after the members completed their mandatory military service, and Variety reported that the album topped Billboard’s main singles and albums charts.
The group is also in the middle of its “World Tour Arirang.” Variety reported that the European leg has wrapped, with the Paris run drawing around 720,000 total attendees.
BTS recently returned to a very different kind of stage. On July 19, the group performed at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Halftime Show at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, according to Variety.
The set included BTS’ 2020 hit “Dynamite” and ran 11 minutes, with Madonna, Shakira and Justin Bieber also part of the halftime show lineup. Variety reported that it was the first time a World Cup final had included a halftime show in the tournament’s 96-year history.
BTS is scheduled to resume the U.S. leg of the “World Tour Arirang” on Aug. 1 in East Rutherford, at the same stadium where the World Cup halftime performance took place.
This story draws on original reporting from Variety.