Global superstar BTS has sparked worldwide debate after announcing they will not submit their music for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards, with major international media describing the move as a significant challenge to the Recording Academy’s award system.
According to reports published on July 29 (local time), leading U.S. media outlets including the Associated Press (AP) and Billboard gave prominent coverage to BTS’s decision, interpreting it as a direct response to concerns over the Recording Academy’s newly introduced Best Asian Pop Music Performance category.
The UK’s The Guardian described BTS’s statement as “gently expressed, but carrying a clear criticism,” arguing that it reflects longstanding concerns over how Asian pop artists have been treated by major Western music awards.
Why BTS Is Boycotting the Grammys
The controversy centers on the Recording Academy’s newly created Best Asian Pop Music Performance category.
Critics argue that the category’s eligibility rules—requiring a significant use of an Asian language in the song—may unintentionally create a separate lane for Asian artists instead of encouraging equal competition in the Grammys’ prestigious General Field categories, such as:
- Album of the Year
- Record of the Year
- Song of the Year
Several international media outlets suggested that the new category could function as a racialized barrier, separating Asian musicians from the ceremony’s highest-profile awards despite being presented as an effort toward diversity.
Billboard Points to BTS’s English Hits
Billboard highlighted what it called an irony in the new rules.
The publication noted that BTS’s English-language global hit “SWIM,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, would not even qualify for the new Asian Pop category because it does not contain enough Asian-language lyrics.
The outlet suggested that BTS’s public emphasis on evaluating music beyond language and geography was a subtle but meaningful response to those guidelines.
Compared With Other Grammy Critics
International media also placed BTS alongside other major artists who have publicly criticized or refused Grammy participation, including:
- Drake
- The Weeknd
- Morgan Wallen
Many reports suggested that BTS’s absence could affect not only the Grammys’ global reputation but also television ratings and worldwide audience engagement, given the group’s history of delivering some of the ceremony’s most memorable performances.
BTS’s Official Statement
All seven BTS members simultaneously shared a joint statement on social media announcing that they had decided not to submit any songs for the 2027 Grammy Awards.
The group stated:
“We hope music will be evaluated and loved for the work itself, rather than being confined by nationality or language.”
Their message emphasized that artistic merit—not language or regional identity—should determine recognition at global music awards.
KOREA FBI Editor’s Comment
BTS’s Grammy boycott is already becoming one of the most discussed music industry stories of 2026. Rather than rejecting the Grammys themselves, the group’s statement has reignited a broader conversation about whether global music awards can truly recognize artists equally in an increasingly international music landscape.
작성자 소개
