BTS won’t submit music for 2027 Grammy Awards

K-pop supergroup BTS announced Wednesday that they will not submit their music for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards, a decision that arrives just weeks after the Recording Academy introduced a new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category that critics have called a form of segregation.

All seven members — RM, Suga, Jin, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook — shared an identical statement across their individual Instagram Meta Platforms, Inc. ↘ 7.95% 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," the coordinated message read. "We thank Army and everyone who has always stood by us."apnews+1

A New Category Sparks Backlash

The announcement came just over a month after the Recording Academy unveiled the Best Asian Pop Music Performance category on June 16 as one of five new awards for the 69th Grammy Awards ceremony, scheduled for Feb. 7, 2027. The category aims to recognize "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, with meaningful use of one or more Asian languages."abc7+1

Some fans and critics in South Korea viewed the new category as a racialized barrier that sidelines Asian performers from more prestigious mainstream awards rather than celebrating them. BTS's lead single "Swim," performed entirely in English, would not have qualified for the new category under its language requirements, according to BBC News. More than 80 percent of the lyrics on the group's comeback album "Arirang" are in English.digitalmusicnews+3

A Storied but Winless Grammy History

BTS has never won a Grammy despite five nominations across their career — three for best pop duo/group performance, one for album of the year as contributors to Coldplay's Warner Music Group Corp. ↘ 5.62% "Music of the Spheres," and one for best music video. The group joins the Weeknd, Drake and Frank Ocean among high-profile artists who have declined to submit music to the Recording Academy in protest of its processes.latimes+1

The band released "Arirang," their fifth studio album and first new record in nearly six years, in March after completing mandatory military service. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and BTS recently performed at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Halftime Show on July 19 alongside Madonna, Shakira and Justin Bieber.variety

Hybe, BTS's label, clarified that the decision is not "a company-wide boycott" but offered no additional comment. Representatives for the Recording Academy did not immediately respond to requests for comment from multiple outlets.apnews+2