South Korean group BTS has announced that it will not submit entries for the 2027 Grammy Awards, sparking controversy over the Recording Academy's response. Some fans have expressed outrage after noticing that certain BTS performance videos were removed from the Grammy's official YouTube channel following the boycott announcement.
However, high-view count performance videos uploaded on BTS's official channels remain available.
On July 29, all members of BTS shared a statement on their Instagram accounts, declaring their intention to boycott the 2027 Grammy Awards.
The members stated, "We have decided not to submit for this year's Grammys. We hope that music is heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language. We thank ARMY and everyone who has always supported us."
This decision coincides with controversy surrounding the Recording Academy's newly established category, 'Best Asian Pop Music Performance,' which will be introduced at the 2027 Grammys. This category is aimed at pop music from Asia, including K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop, and requires meaningful use of Asian languages as a qualification.
Some fans and netizens have criticized this move, suggesting it categorizes globally influential artists like BTS into a separate regional category. BTS's statement also directly referenced the terms "region" and "language," expressing a desire for music not to be classified by its origin or language.
One netizen commented, "Billboard has been incredibly racist, and they have just given a reason for it," while another remarked, "Isn't this just saying, 'We'll give you an award for being Asian, so go away'?"
Responses included comments like, "This is ridiculous, regardless of whether you like or dislike BTS. It ultimately seems to be a racial issue."
Previously, the Recording Academy announced the introduction of the 'Best Asian Pop Music Performance' category ahead of the 2027 Grammy Awards. This category is intended for pop music that originated in or is widely recognized in the Asian market, including K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop.
BTS has been nominated multiple times at the Grammys but has yet to win. This decision to abstain from submission raises broader questions about how non-English-speaking artists are perceived in the global music market.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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