BTS Withdraws from Grammys Over New Category

The seven-member group had been widely expected to compete for major prizes, including Album of the Year, after their comeback record ARIRANG became one of the year’s biggest commercial successes. Members posted coordinated messages on their individual Instagram accounts declaring their decision not to participate.

“We have decided not to enter the Grammys this year,” the artists stated. “We hope that music is heard and loved for what it is, rather than being defined by region or language.” The move comes after the Academy introduced five new categories, among them Best Asian Pop Music Performance, a development that has drawn criticism for potentially limiting how regional artists are recognised on the global stage.

BTS made history as the first all-South Korean act to top the Billboard US singles chart with their 2020 English-language hit “Dynamite.” Although the band has performed at the Grammys and received several nominations, including for Best Music Video, they have yet to take home a trophy. Their latest album ARIRANG, named after a traditional folk song and featuring mostly English lyrics that explore Korean identity after the members’ military service, would not even qualify for the new Asian category because entries must make meaningful use of at least one Asian language.

Grammy CEO Harvey Mason Jr expressed disappointment at the decision and stressed that a win in the Asian category would not prevent artists from contending for the top awards. “The Asian Pop category was created to celebrate the depth, diversity and extraordinary growth of pop artistry coming out of Asia,” he said. “The spirit of this new category is to shine a dedicated spotlight on these important artists.” Some observers, however, argue the separate category risks isolating Asian performers rather than placing them on equal footing with their international peers.

Professor Lee Ji-young, a BTS supporter at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, suggested the Academy may need the group more than the reverse. “By any objective measure, it is the Grammys that need BTS, not the other way around,” she told AFP, adding that the band’s choice signals a shift in the long-held authority of the awards as cultural gatekeepers. Beyond music, BTS has supported UNICEF campaigns, donated to social causes, spoken at the White House on inclusivity and recently completed a major European tour while headlining a high-profile World Cup final show.