BTS withdraw from Grammys, a month after Asian pop prize introduced

Korean pop sensation BTS has announced its decision not to submit music for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards, a month after the introduction of a new Asian pop prize. The group, which has received five Grammy nominations since 2020 but never secured a win, conveyed the news through a synchronized Instagram post from all seven members.

The statement, translated from Korean, read: "We have decided not to enter the Grammys this year. I hope that music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language."

This announcement comes as a surprise, as BTS's comeback album, "Arirang," was one of the year's top-sellers, and its lead single, "Swim," a US number one, was widely anticipated to contend for major Grammy categories, including Album of the Year and Song of the Year. However, "Swim" would have been ineligible for the newly established Best Asian Pop Music Performance prize due to its English-language lyrics. Grammy rules for this category mandate "meaningful use" of an Asian language, and over 80% of "Arirang's" lyrics are in English.

The new Asian pop award has garnered mixed reactions within online K-Pop communities, with many fans expressing concern that it pigeonholes Asian artists rather than celebrating them. BTS's statement, referencing both region and language, appears to echo these sentiments. The group concluded their message with gratitude to their fanbase, the BTS Army: "Thank you to Army and everyone who is always with us."

The Recording Academy, organizers of the Grammy Awards, has not yet issued a response. BBC News has reached out for a statement.

Formed in 2013, BTS has become one of the most successful acts in pop music, with their current world tour projected to rival Taylor Swift's Eras concerts in box office revenue. They made history as the first K-Pop band to receive a Grammy nomination in 2021 for "Dynamite," their first entirely English song. All seven members have been voting members of the Recording Academy since 2019. Despite multiple performances on the Grammy stage and four additional nominations in categories like Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video, they have yet to win an award.

BTS joins a growing list of artists, including The Weeknd, Morgan Wallen, Frank Ocean, and Will Smith, who have boycotted the awards for various reasons. In 2020, Drake criticized the ceremony for consistently overlooking Black artistry and rap music, suggesting that the awards no longer hold the same significance for contemporary artists.

The Grammys have been attempting to acknowledge the increasing global popularity of K-Pop for several years. In 2025, the voting academy expanded to include prominent Korean artists and producers, such as Enhypen's Jungwon, Seventeen's Woozi and Vernon, Le Sserafim's Huh Yunjin, and all six members of Katseye. This year, voting privileges were further extended to members of Twice and Stray Kids.

The most recent ceremony saw significant nominations for Blackpink's Rosé, who opened the show with her collaboration "APT" with Bruno Mars, and the song "Golden" from KPop Demon Hunters. "Golden" became the first K-Pop song to win a Grammy, taking home the award for Best Song Written for Visual Media. However, it too would have been excluded from the new Asian Pop category due to its predominantly English lyrics.

Fans of BTS have expressed mixed feelings about the group's decision. Ashia Davies, 27, who attended BTS's recent comeback tour in London, expressed disappointment, stating, "It's such a shame. I know BTS love the Grammys." While acknowledging BTS's ineligibility for the new Asian pop category, Davies views the category itself as "disrespectful" and a means to "keep Western artists in a separate category so they can stay on top." Conversely, fellow superfan Lauryn Adene, 22, was "happy" with the group's decision, asserting, "They don't have a point to prove."