BTS Will Not Submit Music for 2027 Grammys as Asian Pop Category Draws Debate

BTS will not submit its album ARIRANG or any of its songs for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards, the seven-member group announced on July 29 through coordinated Instagram messages. The decision removes one of the world’s most prominent pop acts from this year’s Grammy entry process while debate continues over the Recording Academy’s newly created award for Asian pop music.

RM, Jin, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook said they wanted their work to be received without being divided by region or language. The group did not use the word “boycott” or provide a longer explanation, but The Associated Press confirmed that neither the comeback album nor its individual tracks will be entered for the 69th Grammy Awards, scheduled for February 7, 2027.

The decision follows the creation of an Asian pop Grammy

The Recording Academy announced five new categories on June 16, including Best Asian Pop Music Performance. The category is designed for performances originating from, or widely recognized within, Asian markets, including K-pop, J-pop and C-pop, and requires meaningful use of one or more Asian languages.

The Academy’s official 2027 Grammy rules update says the award will go to the performing artist. It is a genre category rather than a restriction on where eligible music can compete. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. later emphasized that an artist may seek recognition in both a genre category and the General Field, which includes Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

The new award has nevertheless produced a wider discussion about how global pop is classified. Supporters see a dedicated category as a way to recognize a rapidly expanding field and create another route to a Grammy. Critics have questioned whether geographically defining Asian performers could reinforce the separation of artists whose music already competes in the global mainstream.

BTS did not say the category was the sole reason

The timing of the announcement placed BTS at the center of that debate, but the group’s brief statement did not expressly identify the new category as its only reason for declining to submit. That distinction matters because several reports have described the decision as a direct boycott of the Asian pop award, while the members themselves framed their message more broadly around region, language and how their music should be heard.

Reuters reported that this is the first time BTS has chosen not to participate in the Grammy submission process. A representative for the group did not provide AP with additional comment, leaving unanswered whether the decision reflects a specific objection to the new category, a broader concern about the awards system or both.

Mason responded through the Grammys’ official Instagram account on July 30. He said he was disappointed that BTS would not participate but respected the group’s choice. He also defended Best Asian Pop Music Performance as an effort to expand recognition for the range of pop music emerging from Asian markets, rather than to keep those artists outside established categories.

The group returns to awards season with ARIRANG

The announcement carries added weight because ARIRANG marked BTS’s first full-group studio album following the completion of the members’ mandatory military service in South Korea. BIGHIT MUSIC released the group’s fifth album on March 20, 2026, returning BTS to collective music activity after a nearly four-year gap between full-group releases.

The album’s timing had made it an expected part of the coming awards conversation. BTS remains one of the most visible acts associated with K-pop’s expansion into the United States, and the Recording Academy lists five previous nominations for the group. Those include three Best Pop Duo/Group Performance nominations, an Album of the Year nomination connected to BTS’s contribution to Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres, and a Best Music Video nomination for “Yet to Come.”

BTS has not won a Grammy. The 2026 ceremony produced the first Grammy victory associated with a K-pop act when “Golden,” from the animated film KPop Demon Hunters, won Best Song Written for Visual Media. That result increased attention on how the Academy recognizes music connected to a genre with a large international audience and substantial commercial influence.

What happens next for BTS and the Recording Academy

The 2027 Grammy entry and voting process will continue without submissions for ARIRANG or its tracks from BTS. The first nominees for Best Asian Pop Music Performance have not been announced, and it remains unclear whether other major Asian pop artists will make similar decisions or submit work in both the new category and eligible General Field awards.

The Recording Academy has not announced any change to the category following BTS’s decision. Its published rules remain in effect for the February ceremony, which will air across ABC, Disney+ and Hulu.

For BTS, the announcement shifts attention away from whether ARIRANG might end the group’s long wait for a Grammy and toward a larger question about how international music is organized within major American awards institutions. The group’s position is clear at the level of participation. Its fuller reasoning, and whether that reasoning changes future Grammy involvement, has not yet been disclosed.

About the author

Annelise Sylta

Annelise Sylta is an accomplished digital marketing and public relations professional with an MBA from FIDM. Her academic background and industry experience have shaped her strategic approach to communications, branding, and audience engagement. She has also been invited to contribute to The Showbiz Journal, where she shares insights informed by her expertise and professional perspective.