BTS Withdraws From Grammy Awards
Global K-pop sensation BTS said on Wednesday they will not submit their music for next year’s Grammy Awards, following the Recording Academy‘s introduction of new categories that include the Best Asian Pop Music Performance.
The South Korean megastars had been widely tipped to be in the running for several of the Grammys‘ top honors, including Album of the Year, after their comeback album, ARIRANG, became one of this year’s best-selling hits.
BTS members said in coordinated posts on their individual Instagram accounts, “We have decided not to enter the Grammys this year.”
They added, “We hope that music is heard and loved for what it is, rather than being defined by region or language.”
BTS is the first all-South Korean act to reign over Billboard‘s U.S. top singles chart, which they achieved with their 2020 track “Dynamite“, their first hit sung completely in English.
The Recording Academy said the new Best Asian Pop Music Performance award aims to honor artistic excellence in Asian pop music performances originating from or widely recognised within Asian markets, including but not limited to K-pop, J-pop and C-pop.
The new category requires entries to make meaningful use of at least one Asian language, which means ARIRANG would not have qualified because it includes extensive English lyrics.
Despite performing at the Grammys and earning several nominations, including for Best Music Video, the group has never won.
The introduction of the new category drew mixed reactions online, with some critics saying it boxes Asian artists into a separate category instead of recognising them alongside global peers.
Some argue that this move could be seen as a way to acknowledge the growing influence of Asian pop music, but others see it as a segregation of artists based on their region of origin.
BTS members said, “We have decided not to enter the Grammys this year,” and “We hope that music is heard and loved for what it is, rather than being defined by region or language.”
BTS‘ album ARIRANG explores themes that include Korean identity following the band’s hiatus for mandatory military service.
The Grammys will likely continue to be a major platform for artists to showcase their work, and it will be interesting to see how the introduction of the new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category affects the awards ceremony in the future, potentially influencing other music industry developments.
