BTS snub forces Grammys to rethink controversial New Asian Pop category

The Recording Academy is walking back, or at least reconsidering, one of its newest Grammy categories, just two months after unveiling it with fanfare as a step toward greater inclusivity.

At the center of the controversy is the Best Asian Pop Music Performance category, introduced on June 16 as one of five new additions ahead of the 69th Grammy Awards. The category quickly drew criticism from fans who argued it risked walling off Asian artists from the Grammys' main categories rather than opening a path into them.

The turning point came on July 29, when BTS announced that none of their music, including their recent album ARIRANG, would be submitted for consideration at the 2027 ceremony. All seven members, RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook, posted identical statements to their individual Instagram accounts, writing that they had decided not to submit to the Grammys this year. The group added that they hoped music could be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language, in a statement translated from Korean

Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. issued a statement on August 14 confirming the category is now under review. Mason said that, based on numerous conversations with stakeholders over the prior two weeks, some artists in the space felt the category wasn't representing the music they work hard to create, in the way they wished.

Mason and other Grammy leaders have reportedly been in dialogue with music communities spanning K-pop, J-pop, C-pop and Indian music — including labels, managers and HYBE, BTS's own label. The Academy is now convening its full Board of Trustees along with its Awards & Nominations Committee to seek further guidance, a review that also extends to how the Academy introduces new categories more broadly.

Notably, this marks a shift from the Academy's earlier posture, when Mason had defended the category as an effort to broaden recognition for Asian artists.

As designed, the Best Asian Pop category covers K-pop, J-pop and C-pop based on whether a song significantly features an Asian language — not the artist's nationality or ethnicity. That rule created friction of its own: BTS's most recent album is predominantly in English, which highlighted a central flaw in the category's language-based eligibility requirement.

The fallout has reportedly extended beyond public criticism. A Variety source said volunteers from the Academy's Gold Music Alliance, a pan-Asian creator initiative, have faced bullying and threats from social media users who mistakenly believed they helped create the category.

The timing is tight. The submission window for the 2027 Grammys closes August 21, with nominations announced November 16 and the ceremony set for February 7, 2027, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Whether the Academy revises, rebrands, or scraps the category altogether remains unresolved. But Grammy executives appear willing to reconsider how the category works before it becomes fully established, rather than defending the original decision outright.