BTS Skips 2027 Grammys Despite New Asian Pop Category
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- BTS announced via individual Instagram posts that the group won't submit for the 69th Grammy Awards (Feb. 7, 2027); all seven members shared the same statement saying they hope their music "can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language."
- The Recording Academy unveiled a new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category just over a month before BTS's announcement, defining it as recognizing "artistic excellence in Asian pop music performances" with "meaningful use of one or more Asian languages."
- BTS has been previously nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video but has never won a Grammy; all seven members have been voting members of the Recording Academy since 2019.
- Arirang, BTS's fifth studio album released in March after the members completed mandatory military service, topped Billboard's main singles and albums charts.
- BTS performed at the first-ever FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, delivering their 2020 hit "Dynamite" in an 11-minute set shared with Madonna, Shakira, and Justin Bieber.
- The World Tour Arirang drew approximately 720,000 total attendees at its Paris stop; the tour's U.S. leg resumes Aug. 1 in East Rutherford, the same stadium as the World Cup halftime performance.
Why it matters: BTS's statement explicitly invokes being 'divided by region or language' — precisely the line the new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category draws. By declining to submit, the group effectively sidesteps a category that appeared tailor-made for K-pop, even as they continue to land the world's biggest stages: a sold-out 720,000-attendee Paris run and the first halftime show in the World Cup's 96-year history.
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