Despite BTS Boycott, Grammys Double Down on Controversial New Asian Pop Category

This year, the Recording Academy announced the creation of what has become a controversial new category for the 2027 Grammys: best Asian pop music performance. The addition would reward an artist within popular Asian markets, making the giants of K-pop, J-pop and C-pop eligible.

On the surface, the category falls in line with other regionally specific awards the Academy has added in the past — e.g., the best African music performance category introduced for the 2024 awards. But — as with those additions — the best Asian pop music category has its skeptics, as some artists find it to be marginalizing or othering. Among those who have spoken out against it are the presumed frontrunners BTS. In July, the phenomenally popular seven-member K-pop supergroup made the shocking announcement that they would not be submitting to the 2027 Grammys.

In the message, the bandmembers said they “hope that music can be heard and loved for what it is rather than being divided by region or language.” They singled out one of the most contentious parts of the new category — the language requirement. To be eligible, performances must include “meaningful use” of an Asian language in the song. That would be tough for many of the biggest groups in K-pop and J-pop, which have increasingly produced English-language music as they’ve pushed into the U.S. market during the past decade.

The influence of BTS in this field is such that the Recording Academy considered cutting the category altogether and met with Asian pop artists and executives to discuss the matter. However, it recently announced it will be moving forward.

“We heard candid feedback from people in our community who don’t support the continuation of this category. We also heard from people who didn’t have accurate information about the category, and having space to clear up misperceptions has been especially valuable,” Recording Academy president Harvey Mason said in a statement. “But by far, the loudest feedback we heard was from people who were enthusiastic supporters of the category, fellow music creators expressing their encouragement for keeping it.”

He acknowledged that many would likely be upset but that the Academy agreed it’s the “right conclusion for the music community overall.”

This story appeared in the Oct. 7 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.