BTS announced on Monday that it would not be submitting its album ARIRANG for the 2027 Grammy Awards, following the introduction of a new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category.
Grammy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. responded to the decision, saying he was saddened that BTS chose not to participate this year but that, as a music creator, he understood and respected their decision. He added: “The Asian Pop category was created to celebrate the depth, diversity and extraordinary growth of pop artistry coming out of Asia,” and stressed it was not intended to exclude artists from general categories such as Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year.
“More categories mean more artists’ work is recognized. It’s never to divide, but to expand who is recognized by our 15,000 Grammy voters,” Mason said.
In their announcement, BTS members wrote across individual Instagram accounts: “We hope music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided into region or language.”
Mason added that the Recording Academy would “continue to listen to the global music community and work to honor and celebrate all the artists whose music moves the world.”
Source: Rolling Stone Music
