Overview
- BTS announced on Wednesday that all seven members will not submit any recordings for the 69th Grammys, posting identical statements on their individual Instagram accounts.
- Under Recording Academy rules, recordings must be entered by artists or their representatives to be eligible, so BTS’s non‑submission means Arirang cannot be nominated for the 2027 awards.
- The timing follows the Academy’s June creation of a Best Asian Pop Music Performance category that requires 'meaningful use' of one or more Asian languages and bars songs sung entirely in English from that category.
- Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said he was saddened by BTS’s choice and clarified that entering a genre category would not block consideration in the General Field awards such as album or record of the year.
- The move has renewed debate over whether language‑ or region‑based Grammy categories boost visibility or segregate non‑English and Asian artists, a conversation shaped by past category additions and recent non‑English wins at the awards.