The Recording Academy CEO responds to BTS decision not to submit to
Grammys
[July 31, 2026]
By MARIA SHERMAN
NEW YORK (AP) — Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. has responded to
the news that K-pop powerhouse BTSwill not submit their music for
consideration at the forthcoming 2027 Grammy Awards.
“I am saddened to hear that BTS has chosen not to participate in the
Grammy Awards process this year, but as a music creator, I understand
and respect their decision,” Mason jr. wrote on the Grammys' official
Instagram page.
On Wednesday, all seven BTS members — RM, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V, Jung
Kook and Jin — shared the same note on Instagram, stating that they
would not be submitting their comeback album, “ARIRANG” or its songs for
Grammys.
“We hope our music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than
being divided by region or language,” they wrote, just over a month
after the Recording Academy announced five new Grammy categories, which
include best Asian pop music performance.
According to the rulebook, the category recognizes releases across
K-pop, J-pop, C-pop and beyond. But some fans viewed it as a racialized
barrier for Asian performers.
In his statement, Mason jr. stated that the new category was created in
order to celebrate more voices across the Asian music industry — not to
separate those artists from other awards.
“I do want to clarify something that seems to be getting lost in the
conversation. The Asian Pop category was created to celebrate the depth,
diversity and extraordinary growth of pop artistry coming out of Asia,”
he wrote. “More categories mean more artists' work is recognized. It's
never to divide, but to expand who is recognized by our 15,000 Grammy
voters.”
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Korean pop band BTS attends the 2019 Variety's Hitmakers Brunch in
West Hollywood, Calif., on Dec. 7, 2019.(Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP,
File)
 He added a reminder that submitting
in a genre category — such as the new Asian pop award — does not
exclude an artist from submitting to the general field categories
like album, song and record of the year.
“Recognition in a genre category and recognition in the General
Field are not mutually exclusive,” Mason jr. said. “An artist can
absolutely pursue both.”
BTS has never won a Grammy, though they’ve been nominated for five:
three times in the best pop duo/group performance category as well
as album of the year (for their contributions to Coldplay’s “Music
of the Spheres”) and best music video for “Yet to Come.”
In fact, no K-pop act had ever won a Grammy before this year, when
“Golden” from the Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” took
home the trophy for best song for visual media. It capped a highly
visible night for K-pop at the Grammys — an institution where the
genre has long been undercelebrated despite its massive
international following.
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