KB News Desk
Announcement comes weeks after the Recording Academy unveils Asian pop category
BTS announced Wednesday that it will not submit its music for consideration for the 69th Annual Grammy Awards, scheduled for February next year.
The group made the surprise announcement in a brief statement posted on social media, offering no further explanation for its decision.
“We have decided not to submit to the Grammys this year. We hope music can be heard and embraced for what it is, beyond region or language,” the group wrote.
“Thank you to ARMY and everyone who continues to support us.”
The announcement came as a surprise to many given BTS’ long pursuit of Grammy recognition.
Over the past several years, the members have repeatedly described winning a Grammy Award as one of the group’s biggest career goals.
Last year’s Grammy Awards saw “Golden,” the theme song from Netflix’s animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” become the first K-pop-related song to win a Grammy, taking the award for best song written for visual media.
BTS’ announcement also comes weeks after the Recording Academy unveiled five new categories for the 2027 Grammy Awards, including Asian Pop Music Performance. Announced in June, the new category is intended to “recognize artistic excellence in Asian pop music performance,” according to the Recording Academy.
The timing of BTS’ decision has drawn attention because the new category has sparked debate within Korea’s music industry over whether it represents recognition of Asian pop music or separates the genre from the Grammys’ traditional mainstream categories.
Some critics have argued that the Recording Academy has historically responded to the growing influence of emerging genres and regional music by creating dedicated competitive fields, citing previous expansions for Latin and R&B music. Others have welcomed the new category as long-overdue recognition of Asian pop’s growing global impact.
