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BTS withdraw from Grammys, citing new Asian pop category

From The Guardian · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • K-pop group BTS has withdrawn from the 2027 Grammy awards, citing the addition of a new category for best Asian pop music performance.
  • The group's members expressed a desire for music to be judged on its merit, not by region or language, implicitly criticizing the new category.
  • The Recording Academy's new category has raised concerns among Asian pop artists about being confined to a separate genre, potentially limiting their chances in major awards.

The global music phenomenon BTS has made a striking statement against the Recording Academy by withdrawing from the 2027 Grammy awards. The South Korean group's seven members jointly announced their decision on Instagram, with a shared sentiment that music should be appreciated for its quality, not segregated by geographical origin or linguistic barriers.

This move is a pointed, albeit polite, rebuke of the Academy's recent introduction of a new award for best Asian pop music performance. The Academy president, Harvey Mason Jr., stated the new category was created to offer more opportunities for diverse genres. However, this rationale has been met with skepticism, as established Asian and Latin pop markets boast significant global revenues and fan bases, suggesting the new category could inadvertently isolate artists rather than celebrate them.

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.

— BTS membersThe group's members explained their decision to withdraw from the Grammy awards on Instagram.

Concerns have been mounting within the Asian pop community that the dedicated category might ring-fence artists, preventing them from competing in the prestigious main awards. While K-pop acts have historically been overlooked by the US-centric Grammys, BTS themselves received nominations in 2021, and other K-pop artists like Golden and Rosé achieved wins and nominations in major categories this year. However, the new award specifically requires a "meaningful use" of an Asian language, making BTS's predominantly Korean-language album Arirang a likely candidate for this separate category.

The Recording Academy has not yet responded to BTS's withdrawal. The decision highlights a growing tension between global music's increasing interconnectedness and traditional award structures seeking to categorize diverse sounds. The Grammys will take place on February 7 in Los Angeles, with other new categories including best R&B collaboration and best traditional pop vocal performance.

our music community sharing with us that they felt they needed to have more opportunities to celebrate different and new genres of music

— Harvey Mason Jr.The Recording Academy president explained the rationale behind adding new, regionally specific award categories.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Guardian in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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