The seven-member Korean pop group announced they will not submit music for Grammy consideration, citing concerns over regional and language-based music divisions.
9:43 AM
Korean pop group BTS announced they will not submit their music for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards. The decision was disclosed in a coordinated Instagram post, with all seven members uploading an identical statement.
"We have decided not to enter the Grammys this year," the translated message read. "I hope that music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language."
The band's comeback record, Arirang, became one of the year's biggest-sellers, and the group had been widely expected to compete for major Grammy categories including album of the year. The lead single Swim, which reached number one in the United States, was predicted to be in contention for song of the year.
The announcement came approximately one month after the Recording Academy introduced new Grammy categories for Asian pop music. The Recording Academy announced five new categories for the 69th Grammy Awards on June 16. The band did not explicitly reference a boycott or directly cite the new Asian pop category in their statement, but the timing and language of their message (specifically the reference to music being divided by region or language) prompted industry observers and fans to interpret the withdrawal as a protest against how the Grammys classify music from Asia.
BTS have been nominated for five Grammy Awards since 2020 but have never won an award at the ceremony.
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