Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. has responded to BTS‘s decision not to submit music for the 2027 Grammy Awards, saying he is “saddened” by the move.
In a statement posted to Instagram, Mason also defended the new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category.
All seven members of the HYBE-signed group – RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook – announced the decision on Wednesday (July 29) in identical statements posted to their individual Instagram accounts.
“We have decided not to submit to the Grammys this year,” the BTS members wrote, in a statement translated from Korean.
“We hope music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language,” they added, thanking fan community ARMY “and everyone who is always with us.”
BTS‘s withdrawal keeps their comeback album ARIRANG out of Grammy contention, as MBW reported.
The withdrawal came just over a month after the Recording Academy unveiled the Best Asian Pop Music Performance category on June 16.
The BTS members did not name the category in their posts.
One of five new awards at the 69th Grammys, the category recognizes “artistic excellence in Asian pop music performances originating from or widely recognized within Asian markets, including but not limited to K-pop, J-pop and C-pop, with meaningful use of one or more Asian languages,” according to the Academy.
In his statement, Mason said he was “saddened to hear that BTS has chosen not to participate in the Grammy Awards process this year, but as a music creator, I understand and respect their decision.”
“The Asian Pop category was created to celebrate the depth, diversity and extraordinary growth of pop artistry coming out of Asia. The spirit of this new category is to shine a dedicated spotlight on these important artists.”
Harvey Mason jr., The Recording Academy
“I do want to clarify something that seems to be getting lost in the conversation,” Mason continued.
“The Asian Pop category was created to celebrate the depth, diversity and extraordinary growth of pop artistry coming out of Asia. The spirit of this new category is to shine a dedicated spotlight on these important artists.”
“More categories mean more artists’ work is recognized. It’s never to divide, but to expand who is recognized by our 15,000 Grammy voters.”
Mason added that entering a genre category does not stop an artist from also being considered in the General Field, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year.
Mason concluded: “As we continue to expand the reach, our membership and our awards, regardless of geography or language, I want to emphasize that we will continue to listen to the global music community and work to honor and celebrate all the artists whose music moves the world.”
“More categories mean more artists’ work is recognized. It’s never to divide, but to expand who is recognized by our 15,000 Grammy voters.”
Harvey Mason jr., The Recording Academy
BTS‘s label, HYBE, moved to clarify that the decision was the group’s alone.
“This is not a boycott at the company level,” a HYBE official said in a statement to Korean media, adding that other artists on its roster who wish to enter the Grammys would “proceed with the submissions as scheduled.”
HYBE said it found the timing hard to accept, arguing the change had come just as BTS looked most likely to win a major Grammy.
BTS were first nominated for a Grammy in 2021, when Dynamite was nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
The group have earned five nominations across three ceremonies but have never won a Grammy.
Awards-prediction site Gold Derby had named BTS the frontrunner for the inaugural Asian Pop award, noting that their English-language single SWIM would not qualify but that Korean-language tracks from ARIRANG would.
BTS are not the first act to sit out the Grammys.
Canadian artist The Weeknd boycotted the Grammys in 2021 after his 2020 album After Hours received zero nominations, a snub he blamed on the awards’ nomination committees. He has since ended that boycott, returning to the ceremony and resuming submissions, only to be shut out again for the 2026 awards.
Country artists Morgan Wallen and Zach Bryan have also declined to submit their work in recent years, as MBW reported.
Most of those decisions followed nomination snubs or losses, though Bryan opted out on principle after winning his first Grammy in 2024. BTS, by contrast, are stepping back before the 2027 nominations, which are due on November 16.
The decision comes as BTS power record results for HYBE.
The company posted record second-quarter revenue of KRW 1.45 trillion (USD $967 million) on July 28, up 105.5% year-over-year, as MBW reported, driven by the group’s world tour.
HYBE said concert revenue climbed 243.3% YoY to KRW 647.7 billion ($432 million) in the quarter.
With BTS out of contention, the inaugural Best Asian Pop Music Performance field is open.
Gold Derby lists acts including ATEEZ, Stray Kids, Hearts2Hearts, HYBE’s CORTIS, the Philippines’ BINI and J-pop names such as Ado and Kenshi Yonezu among the contenders.
The 69th Grammy Awards will be handed out on February 7, 2027.Music Business Worldwide
