Why did BTS distance themselves from the Grammys?

In  2022, there were a round of worrying notices from BTS’s agency, Big Hit. Jin had injured his finger, and needed surgery. Jimin had appendicitis, and was also recovering from COVID. As the dates edged closer to their grand Grammys appearance, J-Hope too, was diagnosed with COVID, along with Jungkook. 

There was now the question, of whether they would perform at the Grammys. They hadn’t even been able to rehearse yet—ARMY knew how crucial J-Hope was as choreographer and rehearsal lead.”

Yet, BTS, always able to pull through the most difficult situations as they’re known to do, did turn up for the Grammys. And in styled Louis Vuitton suits for the Red Carpet, and RM, the leader, artfully answered questions about their upcoming performance, concerts and collaborations. 

And, so, they performed a James Bond-esque style of their Grammy-nominated Butter. With Jin managing controls and a stylishly bandaged hand, Jungkook made the entrance, the camera panned to Jimin, J-Hope, RM and while V exchanged a little secret with Olivia Rodriguez. Butter began with flourish, and the newer ARMY’s were shocked to know that they had exactly one day of rehearsal where all seven could perform. The trickiest part of the choreography included a slick jacket trick—it involved timing and co-ordination and as the members said later, if even one second had been off, it would have been unsuccessful. But, they needn’t have worried—the impeccable choreography wrapped up, and they received a standing ovation.

‘We didn’t come for the Grammys. We came for the ARMYs’

They didn’t win the Grammy Award night, their second snub at the award show—but ARMY’s had declared they didn’t need one. Their 525 awards speak for themselves, ranging from the American Music Awards, to the Daesangs, Billboard Awards and more. Nevertheless, while the term ‘Scammys’ went around, with many fans upset at the loss, some fans noted that the 2022 Grammy Awards drew 9.6 million viewers in the final Live, Same Day ratings released Tuesday by Nielsen, which include out-of-home viewing — a 2.1 per cent increase over the 2021 broadcast, and it was all attributed to BTS. 

BTS did express the disappointment in the Weverse Live, right after the Grammys. Jimin recalls how he immediately turned to hug Suga, and RM said, “It’s not like we can do anything about the results. I mean, honestly speaking, it’s a fact that we’re not happy. But I think it’s good to be honest about how we feel. We can just be sad for today and feel better tomorrow, it’s all good. We can blow off some steam by ourselves for today and feel better tomorrow.”

Jimin reflected on the group's performance, saying, "What I thought was impressive about the members is that we rehearsed the performance only once just yesterday. And we pulled it off like that today.” He also expressed his gratitude to fans, adding, "Even if we didn't get the award, we were able to try at the award once again because of our ARMYs, and it was honorable and meaningful to us. Towards ARMYs, I had this big thought in my mind, that we could repay ARMYs by receiving the award.. that's why it was quite sad."

RM echoed the sentiment, simply saying, "We have no regrets, we gave our best.” 

Just after the Grammys, BTS went on to perform four sold-out concerts in the U.S. As RM triumphantly told the screaming ARMYs in the crowd, “We didn’t come here for the Grammys. We came here for the ARMYs.”

But behind the scenes, the mood was shifting. During the emotional Festa 2022 dinner, a teary RM opened up about the uncertainty the group was facing. He admitted he no longer knew where their focus lay. Their work had started to feel mechanical. Had they lost their meaning? Was their purpose now only to impress, or was there still something deeper?

In that moment of reflection, the group made a pivotal decision: to take a break from their activities as a band, and explore solo projects—for a while.

2023, Grammy nominations but no appearance

In 2023, hope built up again. BTS received three nominations:

1. Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for My Universe with Coldplay. This marked BTS’s third consecutive nomination in this category, following previous nods for Dynamite and Butter.

2. Best Music Video for Yet to Come, notably their first nomination for a primarily Korean-language song. 

3. Album of the Year as featured artists and contributors on Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres. Several BTS members, including RM, Suga, and J-Hope, were also credited as songwriters on the album 

Considering that Jin and J-Hope were at military service, it was obvious that a full OT7 performance was not possible. Rumours began to swirl through the ARMY fanbase: RM and Jungkook were supposed to attend, fans were sure. But there was no sign of movement from either; RM had just briefly acknowledged the Grammy nomination on his Instagram. There was also a markedly different air around BTS and the Grammys: From excited videos of them watching nominations, Suga expressing his desire to win it once at least, the members, have not mentioned it since. 

And so, the Grammys came and went—with no BTS member in sight. RM was deep into working on his second solo album, while Jungkook was preparing for his official solo debut. He went on to release his first solo single, Seven, in July 2023. The track quickly soared to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, making Jungkook the another BTS member to top the chart as a solo artist. It also dominated streaming platforms worldwide, reaching the top spots on Spotify’s Global Top 50 and Apple Music charts, further cementing his status as a global solo star.

Suga was in the middle of his D-Day concert tour, and V was gearing up for the release of his album, Layover. Meanwhile, although the exact timeline remains a bit unclear, Jimin and Jungkook were also planning their travel series Are You Sure during this period.

At the end of 2023, the rest of the members left for their military service. Jungkook had just made Billboard history with his chart-topping Seven, a Grammy win for sure—an emotion harboured by fans who were still feeling hopeful. But that emotion was once again dampened—that despite each BTS solo member, making their way on Billboard charts, from Suga’s raw D-Day album, or Jungkook’s Seven, and later, Jimin’s Who which was also on different charts—-there was still no Grammy nomination, for any of them individually. 

The conversation surrounding BTS and the Grammys continues to generate debate. While some fans speculate that the group may be intentionally distancing themselves from the awards, others interpret BTS’s recent comments as a sign that they no longer view Grammy recognition as essential to their success. Online discussions, including Reddit threads, have explored various theories about the group's lack of wins, with some users suggesting that the Grammys remain largely US.-centric, leaving limited space for international artists—regardless of global popularity.

And now with BTS returning from military returning, and their ever-faithful ARMY who has waited, it’s clear that the band continues to shape global pop culture on their own terms, their absence from the Grammys can be seen less as a retreat and more like a quiet redefinition of success. Their journey—from rehearsing Grammy performances through illness to topping international charts as soloists—has proven that their impact reaches far beyond a single stage or trophy. 

While the Grammys may remain a symbolic benchmark in the music industry, BTS’s story is already being written elsewhere: in sold-out stadiums, in streaming records broken across continents, and in the unwavering support of a global fanbase that has never needed validation from a golden gramophone to know what they’re worth.

Their comeback may be some time away—but for millions, the legacy continues, Grammy or not.