G LOBAL K-pop boy band BTS will not submit its music for consideration at the 69th Grammy Awards, which is set to be held on February 7, 2027, the group announced on Wednesday. Theannouncementwasmaderecently through a statement shared by all seven members of the group -- RM,Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook -- on their respective Instagram handles. "We have decided not to submit for Grammy consideration this year. We hope our music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language. We thank ARMY and everyone who has always stood by us," the statement read, as quoted by Variety. TheK-popboyband'sannouncement came just over a month after the Recording Academy announced a new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category. "This category recognises artistic excellence in Asian pop music performances originating from or widely recognisedwithinAsianmarkets,including but not limited to K-pop, J-pop and C-pop, with meaningful use of one or more Asian languages. Awards are presented to the performing artists," read the Academy's description of the category. It is worth mentioning that BTS has been nominated for Grammys before, including in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance andBestMusicVideo categories. All seven members have been voting members of the Recording Academy since 2019. On the musical front, the group released its fifth studio album Arirang in March, after the members completed theirmandatorymilitaryservice.The record topped Billboard's main singles and albums charts, generating significant global response.

 

The band is currently on the World Tour Arirang. In the most recent appearance, they performed at the FIFA World Cup 2026 FinalHalftimeShowonJuly19atMetLife StadiuminEastRutherford,NewJersey, where they performed their 2020 hit single Dynamite. Following BTS' announcement that theywillnotsubmit theirmusic forconsideration at the 2027GrammyAwards, RecordingAcademyCEOHarveyMason Jr. has expressed disappointment while reiterating that thenewlyintroducedBest Asian Pop Music Performance categorywasneverintended to separateAsian artists from the main awards. Inastatement,Masonsaidherespects the group'sdecisiondespite feelingsaddened by it. "I am saddened to hear that BTS has chosennot toparticipatein theGrammy Awards process this year, but as amusic creator, I understand and respect their decision," he shared. Addressing the ongoing debate around the new Asian Pop category, Mason clarified that its purpose is to celebrate the growing influence and diversity ofAsianpopmusic,not tolimit artists to a regional classification. He explained that the addition of the category is designed to broaden recognition for artists across Asia and give them greater visibility among the RecordingAcademy'snearly 15,000voting members. Mason also emphasized that artists entering a genre-specific category remain fully eligible for the Grammys' top honours, including Record of the Year, Album of theYear and Song of the Year. According to him, submissions in categories such as Asian Pop, Jazz or Country do not prevent artists from competingin theGeneral Field awards.