BTS Grammy consideration pullout follows new Asian pop category
BTS said it will not submit music for the 2027 Grammys after the Recording Academy added a Best Asian Pop Music Performance award.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
BTS Grammy consideration is off the table this year, with the Korean pop group saying its seven members will not submit music for the next Grammy Awards after the Recording Academy created a new Asian pop category.
RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook posted the decision on their Instagram accounts, saying they want their work heard without being separated by geography or language. The group thanked Army, the name used for BTS’ global fanbase, and others who have supported them.
The Instagram statement did not name the new award. Deadline reported the move appears to be a protest of the Recording Academy’s recent addition of Best Asian Pop Music Performance.
Why did BTS pull out of Grammy consideration?
BTS said it would not submit for Grammy consideration and framed the decision around how its music is categorized, asking that it be appreciated for what it is rather than sorted by region or language. The timing comes after the Recording Academy announced a category for Asian pop performances.
The Recording Academy said last month that Best Asian Pop Music Performance is meant to honor performances from, or widely recognized in, Asian markets. The academy’s description includes K-pop, J-pop and C-pop, and says eligible work must include meaningful use of one or more Asian languages.
According to the academy’s category description, the award is presented to the performing artist or artists.
The decision removes one of pop’s biggest global acts from a Grammy race in which it was expected to be a major player. Deadline reported that BTS had been expected to draw multiple nominations, including a possible Album of the Year nod for its comeback album Arirang.
The group’s No. 1 lead single, “Swim,” was also expected to perform strongly in the nominations, according to Deadline.
BTS fans and Grammy organizers had also been hoping for a BTS performance at the ceremony, Deadline reported. The 2027 Grammy Awards are scheduled to air February 7, 2027, on ABC, Hulu and Disney+.
That broadcast will mark a major television shift for the Grammys. Deadline reported the awards are moving to ABC, Hulu and Disney+ after more than 50 years on CBS.
BTS remains busy away from the Grammy race. The group is currently on a world tour and recently appeared at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Halftime Show on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
During the 11-minute halftime show, BTS performed its 2020 single “Dynamite.” Madonna, Shakira and Justin Bieber also appeared in the show, according to Deadline.
The group is set to return to MetLife Stadium on August 1 to open the U.S. leg of its tour.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.