BTS boycotts 2027 Grammys over new Asian Pop category

BTS will not submit Arirang album for 2027 Grammys following introduction of new Asian Pop category

BTS has announced that it will not submit its latest album, Arirang, or any of its songs for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards, citing concerns over the Recording Academy's newly introduced Asian Pop category.

The group shared the decision through members' social media accounts on July 29. Leader RM said, "We have decided not to submit our work to this year's Grammy Awards."

He added, "We hope music can be heard and loved for itself, beyond regions or languages," while thanking the group's fanbase, ARMY, and supporters.

BTS members instagram story

"We have decided not to submit for this year's Grammys.
​Rather than music being categorized by region or language, we hope music itself can be heard and loved for what it is.
​We sincerely thank ARMY and everyone who is always with us" pic.twitter.com/VTHeUcttNj

— vjk ☆ (@koovarbie) July 29, 2026

The decision follows the Grammys' introduction of a dedicated Asian Pop category in June. The new award recognises works that "meaningfully use one or more Asian languages, including K-pop, J-pop (Japanese pop), and C-pop (Chinese pop)."

The Recording Academy described Asian pop as "one of the most important and enduring forces in the global music industry."

The category is the first Grammy award created exclusively for Asian pop music. Following its announcement, award prediction platforms and US media reportedly identified BTS among the leading contenders for the inaugural prize.

However, some K-pop fans criticised the move, arguing it could create a separate category that limits Asian artists' opportunities to compete in the Grammys' six General Field awards, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

Reports also noted that the category's language-based eligibility rules exclude songs that use only brief Asian-language phrases or are entirely in English. Most tracks on BTS's Arirang album are predominantly in English.