NEW YORK (AP) — K-pop powerhouse BTS said they will not submit their music for consideration at the forthcoming 2027 Grammy Awards.
All seven BTS members — RM, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V, Jung Kook and Jin — shared the same note Wednesday.
“We hope our music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language,” the coordinated message read. “We thank Army and everyone who has always stood by us.”
Wednesday’s announcement came just over a month after the Recording Academy announced five new Grammy categories, which includes the introduction of a best Asian pop music performance category, meant to celebrate releases across K-pop, J-pop, C-pop and beyond.
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Some fans viewed the introduction of category as creating a racialized barrier for Asian performers.
A representative for BTS offered no additional comment.
BTS has never won a Grammy, though they’ve been nominated for five Grammy Awards across their career: three times in the best pop duo/group performance category as well as album of the year (for their contributions to Coldplay’s “Music of the Spheres”) and best music video for “Yet to Come.”
In fact, no K-pop act had ever won a Grammy Award before this year, when “Golden” from the Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” took home the trophy for best song for visual media. It capped a highly visible night for K-pop at the Grammys — an institution where the genre has long been undercelebrated despite its massive international following.
In March, BTS returned after a nearly four-year musical hiatus. “ARIRANG,” the 14-track, critically acclaimed fifth studio album from the septet, served as both a reintroduction to the band after its members completed South Korea’s mandatory military service and as a keen reminder of their place atop popular culture conversation.
Representatives for the Recording Academy did not immediately respond to The Associated Press’ request for comment.
