The South Korean pop juggernaut BTS will not submit music for the 2027 Grammy Awards. All seven members coordinated a unified statement across their personal social media accounts to protest the Recording Academy’s newly introduced Best Asian Pop Music Performance category.
Screenshots of the simultaneous Instagram stories from Jungkook, RM, V, Jimin, Suga, J-Hope and Jin reveal an identical Korean message. The coordinated post highlights their principled stand against segregating art by geography or dialect.
Navigating Grammy nominations
Securing a Grammy nomination is an intricate peer-voted process rather than a mere popularity contest. To enter consideration, an artist or their representatives must hold a Recording Academy membership costing $150 annually or register as a legitimate media company such as a label or distributor. Submissions typically occur during an online entry window from mid-July through late August. Professional screening committees then review these initial submissions to ensure proper category placement. Finally, voting members cast their ballots to select the ultimate nominees and winners from the approved lists.
BTS are no strangers to this system, having made history as the first K-pop act to secure a Grammy nomination. The septet holds five career nominations for global hits including «Dynamite» and «Butter». Despite reshaping how the Western music industry views Asian pop artists and normalising deeply personal themes like mental health within mainstream pop, the group has yet to secure a golden gramophone. Industry experts had tipped their latest album for major recognition before this sudden withdrawal.
Record-breaking comeback and world tour
The Grammy withdrawal follows a monumental period of transition and triumph for the band. After completing their mandatory South Korean military service, BTS reunited earlier this year to launch a massive global comeback.
They released their highly anticipated sixth studio album, «Arirang,» on March 20. The project immediately dominated global charts, with its lead single «Swim» spending 17 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.
The group’s return to the stage proved equally lucrative. Their 88-date «Arirang World Tour» kicked off in April with a historic concert in Seoul before moving across North America, Latin America and Europe. This massive live run propelled entertainment giant HYBE back into profitability, driving a staggering 243% year-over-year jump in concert revenues during the second quarter.
By skipping the Grammys, BTS has sent a clear message to the global music industry: their historic comeback tour and chart-topping album stand firmly on their own merit, requiring no validation from a segregated awards system.
