BTS have announced they will not submit any material for the Grammy Awards, citing the introduction of a new Asian music category that they believe divides music by region and language.
The decision comes after the Grammys, held in February, introduced categories to recognise Asian music. The K-pop supergroup issued a statement confirming they will not put any of their material forward, stating that music should unite people across the world rather than divide them by region or language.
The hugely successful group recently performed in London on their sold-out ARIRANG world tour and appeared at the World Cup final half-time show.
BTS Statement
In a statement shared on Instagram, the group said: "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 the Army and everyone who has always stood by us."
New Asian Music Category
It was expected that the band would be included in major categories such as Album of the Year following the release of their record Arirang, one of the year's biggest sellers. The lead track "Swim" was also tipped for Song of the Year after topping US charts. However, its English-language lyrics would have excluded it from the Best Asian Pop Music prize, announced last month. Songs nominated for that category must include "meaningful use" of an Asian language, while most of Arirang is in English.
The inclusion of the new award received mixed responses from K-pop fans, with many complaining that the category felt like K-pop had been pigeonholed rather than celebrated. An official description reads: "This category recognises artistic excellence in Asian pop music performances originating from or widely recognised within Asian markets, 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 artist(s)."
Previous Grammy Snubs
BTS were the first K-pop group to be nominated at the Grammys in 2021 for their hit "Dynamite," their first song performed in English. All seven members have been voting members of the Recording Academy since 2019. Over the years, they have performed at the awards and earned multiple nominations, including Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video, but have never won.
They are not alone in snubbing the awards. Countless musicians have boycotted the ceremony, including The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, Will Smith and Morgan Wallen.
Broader Criticism
In 2020, Drake called for the awards to be replaced, claiming they overlooked rap music. He said on Instagram: "I think we should stop allowing ourselves to be shocked every year by the disconnect between impactful music and these awards and just accept that what once was the highest form of recognition may no longer matter to the artists that exist now and the ones who come after."
The Mirror has approached the Recording Academy for comment.
