BTS have ruled themselves out of the 69th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2027, days after the Recording Academy announced a new Best Asian Pop Performance category that the group would have been overwhelming favourites to win. In a joint statement shared with their combined 450 million-plus Instagram followers, the seven members wrote: 'We have decided not to enter. I hope that music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language.'
Boycott as a Sting Against Genre Silos
The united stance, posted in their native Korean, is seen as a critique of the Academy's decision to pigeonhole the band's global success by ethnicity. Historically, once the Grammys create a genre-specific category, artists find it nearly impossible to win mainstream prizes, keeping BTS out of the running for the coveted 'Big Four' — Album, Song, Record and Performance of the Year.
The move echoes past criticisms. Last year, Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny made history by winning Album of the Year for his fully Spanish-language album Debí Tirar Más Fotos. This year, the Academy announced a first-ever Best Latin Song category. Accepting his award, Bad Bunny said it was for 'All the Latinos in the entire world and to all the artists who came before and who deserved to be on this stage receiving this award.'
A History of Critics
Tyler, the Creator famously slammed the Grammys' use of the 'urban' category, calling it 'a politically correct way to say the n-word.' He said: 'It sucks that whenever we — and I mean guys that look like me — do anything that’s genre-bending or anything, they always put it in a rap or urban category.' Following his comments, the Academy renamed Best Urban Contemporary Album to Best Progressive R&B Album.
Academy president Harvey Mason Jr said the new Latin and Asian categories were to create 'more opportunities to celebrate different and new genres of music.' In response to BTS, he said he was 'saddened' but that he 'understood and respected' their decision. 'More categories mean more artists’ work is recognised. It’s never to divide, but to expand who is recognised,' he insisted.
Global Dominance Against Grammy Snubs
BTS are the biggest band in the world by measurable metrics. In 2019 they became the first group since The Beatles to earn three No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 chart in less than a year. They are the most streamed act on Spotify with more than 48.5 billion cumulative streams and hold over 20 Guinness World Records. Yet they have missed out on five Grammys in the three years they have been nominated.
Despite that, BTS have attended and performed at the Grammys three times, each performance becoming the most-watched in the show's history on YouTube. Their recent world tour, the 88-date Arirang World Tour, saw sold-out stadium shows across Europe and generated a record 1.45 trillion Korean won (around $987 million) in quarterly revenue from tickets and merchandise.
Their boycott statement, made for themselves and the artists who will follow them, says more than any winner's speech could. The Grammys needs BTS far more than BTS need another award.
