BTS announced Wednesday that it will not submit any of its music for consideration for the 69th Annual Grammy Awards, set to take place in February 2027.
In a statement posted on social media, BTS said it had chosen not to participate in this year’s Grammy submission process, expressing hope that music would be appreciated regardless of region or language and thanking ARMY and fans for their continued support.
The decision marks a notable shift for the group, which has openly identified a Grammy Award as one of its biggest career ambitions. Throughout the past several years, BTS members have repeatedly spoken about their desire to earn the Recording Academy’s highest recognition.
The announcement also comes shortly after the Recording Academy introduced five new competitive categories for the 2027 Grammy Awards, including Asian Pop Music Performance. Unveiled in June, the category was created to “recognize artistic excellence in Asian pop music performance.”
Its addition has prompted mixed reactions across South Korea’s music industry. Supporters have described the category as overdue recognition of Asian pop’s growing influence on the global music market, while critics argue that creating a separate field risks isolating the genre from the Grammys’ traditional general and genre categories rather than fully integrating it.
Last year’s Grammy Awards also marked a milestone for Korean pop music, with “Golden,” the theme song from Netflix’s animated film KPop Demon Hunters, becoming the first K-pop-related song to win a Grammy Award after taking Best Song Written for Visual Media
