Key Takeaways
- The Recording Academy is reconsidering its new Best Asian Pop Music Performance Grammy after BTS declined to submit their album ARIRANG or any other music for the 2027 awards.
- CEO Harvey Mason Jr. acknowledged that some Asian pop artists feel the category does not represent the music they work hard to create and pledged to ensure they feel "truly seen and heard" by future changes.
- The category, which covers K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop based on significant use of an Asian language rather than artist nationality, faces possible revisions as the 2027 Grammys submission window closes on August 21 ahead of the February 7 ceremony.
The Grammys are reconsidering its newly established Best Asian Pop Music Performance Grammy category after BTS chose not to submit their latest album, ARIRANG, for consideration.
On Saturday (August 15), Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. addressed the fallout in a statement, over a month after the K-pop group announced they would not be entering the Asian pop category — which was announced in June, along with four other new categories.
"There are some artists in this space who feel that this category isn't representing the music they work so hard to create, in the way they wish," Mason stated. "As a musician myself, I take that to heart."
"The Grammy organization exists to serve all music people, and part of that is working to ensure that no voice or community gets overlooked or misunderstood," Mason continued, adding that the Recording Academy is "committed to working together to keep pace with that progress and ensure the musicians we intend to honor feel truly seen and heard by our actions."
In a previous statement, Mason Jr. said he was "saddened to hear that BTS has chosen not to participate in the Grammy Awards process this year," while adding that as "a music creator," he understood and respected their decision.
The Best Asian Pop category spans K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop, with eligibility relying on whether a song has at least one Asian language significantly present, not being based on an artist's nationality or ethnicity.
Following their withdrawal from Grammys consideration, BTS posted a message on Instagram, sharing hopes for their music to be "heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language." Since 2021, the group has received five Grammy nominations, mainly for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
The window for Grammys 2027 online submissions closes August 21. Nominations are scheduled to be announced November 16, with the 69th ceremony taking place live at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 7, 2027.
