BTS Declines Grammy Submission After New Asian Pop Category Introduced

The seven members of BTS posted on Instagram on July 29 that they will not submit an entry for this year’s Grammy Awards. In the message, written in Korean, they said they hope music can be heard and loved without being divided by region or language and thanked their fans, known as ARMY.

Grammy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. responded that he was “saddened” by the decision and said the new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category was created to celebrate the diversity and growth of pop artistry from Asia, adding that more categories allow more artists to be recognized.

Experts noted that BTS’s choice reflects their established global stature following the release of their album Arirang, which topped international charts after the group completed mandatory military service. Professor Hye Jin Lee of the University of Southern California said the move indicates that BTS no longer feels the need for validation from Western institutions, a position that differs from their earlier career stage.

Lee also explained that BTS’s management company HYBE clarified the decision was specific to the group and that other label artists remain free to submit entries. She added that few other Korean or Asian artists have comparable worldwide influence, making it uncertain whether similar boycotts would attract comparable attention.

The announcement prompted supportive reactions from BTS’s fan base and several Korean-American creatives, while some commentators compared the new category to past Grammy attempts to categorize emerging genres, such as the 1989 hard-rock/metal award that was controversially given to a progressive-rock band.

Music producer Sleep Deez, who has worked with BTS, said recognition for Asian artists is important but emphasized that true inclusion should allow artists to compete in existing categories based on artistic merit rather than geographic or ethnic distinctions.