BTS Won’t Submit For 2027 Grammys Consideration — And Why It Matters

THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON — Episode 2272 — Pictured: Musical impermanent BTS poses aft their capacity connected Wednesday, March 25, 2026 — (Photo by: Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images)

Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images

One period aft The Grammys announced the Asian Pop Performance Award class for this upcoming Grammy cycle, world superstars BTS announced via their Instagrams that they will not beryllium submitting their euphony for the information campaign.

BTS members – RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook – shared the aforesaid connection coming done their individual Instagram stories, deciding not to participate the Grammys this year.

Their connection adds, “I dream the euphony itself tin beryllium heard and loved alternatively than being distinguished by region and language. Thank you to the ARMY and everyone for ever being pinch me.”

With the occurrence of their astir caller comeback album, ARIRANG, dominating the charts and breaking galore income records, galore experts person slated it arsenic a starring contender for the Grammy Awards. The group’s 5th workplace album, which was released successful March, debuted astatine No. 1 connected the Billboard 200, South Korea’s Circle Chart, Japan’s Oricon Charts, Germany’s Album Chart, and the UK Official Albums Chart. Their lead single, “SWIM,” made history, becoming the group’s seventh No. 1 connected the Billboard Hot 100. All of the tracks – minus the doorbell “No. 29” – charted connected Billboard’s Hot 100.

That’s why it came arsenic a astonishment erstwhile BTS decided not to taxable ARIRANG in immoderate category, including the coveted “Album of the Year.”

Yet, was it really that large of a astonishment that BTS, 1 of the biggest names successful music, didn’t want to participate successful this American-based awards show that had disappointed them clip and clip again? BTS has been nominated for a Grammy 5 times crossed 3 years, but ne'er won. Their first information for “Dynamite” was successful 2021 for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, which was won by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande’s “Rain On Me.” They were past nominated again successful the aforesaid class successful 2022 and 2023 for “Butter” and “My Universe” (with Coldplay), respectively. In 2023, they were besides nominated for Best Music Video for “Yet to Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)” and Best Album, arsenic a featured creator connected Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres. Adding brackish to the injury, BTS performed astatine the Grammy Awards 3 times, successful 2020, 2021, and 2022 – arsenic the tail extremity of the awards show.

The BTS members person spoken successful the past astir their desire for the aureate gramophone, which SUGA told Variety successful 2020, “I grew up watching American grant shows, truthful obviously, we each cognize and I cognize the value of the Grammys. It’s a dream anyone moving successful euphony has.” In the aforesaid interview, RM says striving for the grant motivated them to activity harder, arsenic the grant represents the eventual recognition.

But arsenic clip went on, BTS grew moreover bigger, breaking records and receiving different awards and recognition. Over their 13 years arsenic a group, BTS has won complete 500 awards domestically and internationally. They yet took a break during each member’s mandatory subject enlistment, and each personnel released their ain solo projects successful between.

BTS announced their comeback medium aft each the members were discharged from the military and reunited to create music, which was well-documented connected Netflix’s BTS: The Return. It was the astir anticipated medium successful music, mounting the shape to go 1 of the biggest comebacks ever.

So erstwhile the medium did yet merchandise and received world and captious acclaim, pinch the poise to predominate this awards season, the Recording Academy, the group down the Grammy Awards, announced successful June that location would beryllium respective norm changes and 5 caller categories for the upcoming 69th Grammy Awards adjacent year. The caller categories, which received the astir attention, see champion Asian popular euphony performance; champion R&B collaboration aliases duo/group performance; champion accepted popular vocal performance; champion accepted people album; and champion Latin song.

Like the Latin Grammys, the Asian Pop Performance class recognizes those “originating from aliases wide recognized wrong Asian markets, including K-Pop, J-pop, and C-pop. They besides count recordings that characteristic “meaningful usage of 1 aliases much Asian languages.” Recordings wholly successful English are not eligible for the category.

Following his 2020 Best Rap Album triumph astatine the Grammys, American creator Tyler the Creator felt gratitude for the recognition, but besides felt disappointment complete being “pigeonholed,” criticizing the “urban” explanation arsenic a “politically correct measurement to opportunity the N-word,” opting to beryllium considered different shape of Pop music. Puerto Rican creator Bad Bunny has won respective Latin Grammys, which autumn successful the Latin euphony category. It’s why his information and triumph for Album of the Year astatine past year’s Grammys for DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS made history arsenic the first creator to triumph the class pinch a afloat Spanish-language album. Many had expected BTS to do the aforesaid adjacent year.

But pinch the Asian Pop Performance category, BTS’s refusal to participate successful the Grammy Awards is simply a motion of protestation complete the caller class that is meant to divide. The group has proven pinch this album, ARIRANG, that connection has nary barrier, arsenic the group continues to embark connected their World Tour crossed North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, Oceania, and much from each walks of life will singing on to the accepted Korean people song, “Arirang,” during their “Body-to-Body” segment.

Using an image of his characteristic from the “Hooligan” euphony video, RM is dressed successful a ‘70s “OldBoy” style arsenic the connection is shared. He looks for illustration he’s fresh to return connected the conflict – which he does successful the euphony video. Or could it beryllium a callback to his lyrics from the opus that “rejects popular euphony rules”, “Yeah, we the mess, gonna get a bigger mop present (Bigger mop) / This that K, gotta get a amended popular present (Better pop) / You gon' perceive this 1 playin' 'round the clock, yea ('Round the clock)”

V utilized his League of Legends Master rank inheritance arsenic his connection board. The remainder of the members kept it elemental pinch conscionable their statement. They did not adhd immoderate different remark aliases post.

There had been rumors of individual members submitting their solo projects for Grammy consideration. Still, location has been nary confirmation of that determination – and it is unlikely, arsenic they made their posts astatine the aforesaid clip pinch the aforesaid connection successful solidarity.

BTS’s deficiency of beingness successful “music’s biggest stage” is their measurement of saying they’ve had capable pinch them. The members person mentioned their disdain towards the awards show. Following their Grammy nonaccomplishment successful 2022, 2 months later, RM told concert-goers during their 2022 Permission to Dance On Stage - Las Vegas performance that location has been “a batch of sound retired location astir their Grammys and the squad itself,” and assured them not to “give a crap astir it.” He says, “Hating is their freedom, and they person their correct to hate, but if it [were] me, I’d alternatively conscionable talk pinch my friends successful immoderate cafe and hide astir it – alternatively than tweeting astir it aliases immoderate interview. I wouldn’t do that because I’m a grown-up.”

He continues, “We didn’t travel to Vegas for the Grammys. We came to Vegas for the ARMYs. The record, the title, the accomplishments, the trophies, they’re really important, but that wasn’t the first thing, the first logic why we started each these things. These 2 hours, communion, energy, oculus to eye, singing along, dancing together, this communication, this is everything.”

The Recording Academy has not released immoderate connection arsenic of yet.

BTS continues connected their World Tour ARIRANG in North America this weekend.