BTS Bans the Grammys in Bid for Global Music Equality
On Tuesday, seven‑member K‑Pop megastar BTS announced in a coordinated Instagram story that the group would not enter its songs for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards. The statement read: “We have decided not to enter the Grammys this year. I hope that music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language.” The band’s message concludes with a thank you to ARMY and everyone who “is always with us.”
The move comes a month after the Recording Academy introduced a new “Best Asian‑Pop Performance” category that requires a “meaningful use” of a non‑English Asian language in the lyrics. BTS’s latest hit “Swim,” a chart‑topper in the United States, is almost entirely in English and therefore would not qualify, even though the album Arirang was among the year’s biggest sellers. Critics argue that the new prize pigeonholes Asian acts into a separate bracket, undermining the sense of a truly global music stage.
The band’s decision echoes earlier boycotts by artists such as The Weeknd, Frank Ocean and Morgan Wallen, who have called the awards out of touch with contemporary music realities. In 2025, the recording academy expanded its voting body to include prominent Korean musicians – from Enhypen’s Jungwon to Twice and Stray Kids – signalling a shift toward more inclusive representation. Yet the new category’s rule conflicts with the current reality of K‑Pop’s global chart dominance, as demonstrated by the first all‑K‑Pop song to win a Grammy in 2024 (the visual‑media title “Golden”), which also largely used English lyrics.
Fans have expressed mixed feelings: some lament the group’s absence from the ceremony, while others view the boycott as a courageous stand against tokenised recognition. “It’s such a shame,” says Ashia Davies, a BTS Army member, while fellow superfan Lauryn Adene says the band “doesn’t have a point to prove.”
The Recording Academy has yet to respond to the announcement. Meanwhile, the global K‑Pop market prepares to launch BTS’s new world‑tour, which is expected to rival even the most lucrative Western concert series in box‑office sales.
