Overview
- The band said in identical posts on their members' social accounts that they will not enter any music in the 69th Grammy Awards, a decision announced on Wednesday that removes their comeback album ARIRANG from general-category contention.
- BTS framed the move as a stand against defining music by geography or language, saying music should be heard and loved for what it is rather than being boxed by region or tongue.
- The Recording Academy announced five new categories on June 16, including Best Asian Pop Music Performance, which the Academy says is for works from or widely known in Asian markets and that use substantial Asian-language content.
- ARIRANG is largely in English and likely would have been eligible for general categories but not for the new Asian-pop category, highlighting how the Academy's language-based criteria can affect eligibility.
- The announcement has intensified debate over whether genre- and region-specific Grammy categories help recognition or risk segregating non-English music, and it arrives while submissions remain open through August 21 for the ceremony on February 7, 2027.