BTS not submitting to Grammys 2027 is now official. The group announced through coordinated Instagram Stories on July 29 that it will not enter music for consideration at the 69th Grammy Awards, scheduled for February.
The decision arrives weeks after the Recording Academy introduced a new Asian pop category, putting BTS at the center of an already tense conversation about how Asian artists are recognized in major US music awards.
BTS confirms its Grammy submission decision
All seven BTS members shared the same message with fans: “We have decided not to submit our music to the Grammys this year.” The group added, “We hope music can be heard and loved as music itself, rather than being divided by region or language.”
BTS also thanked ARMY and supporters worldwide. The statement does not name the Recording Academy’s new category directly, but its focus on region and language has made the timing impossible to ignore.
The choice is especially striking because BTS is entering the awards cycle after a major group comeback. Its fifth studio album, ARIRANG, topped the Billboard 200, while lead single “SWIM” debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100, according to the available source material.
Is BTS boycotting the 2027 Grammys?
BTS did not use the word “boycott,” and the group has not said it is permanently withdrawing from future Grammy consideration. What is confirmed is narrower: BTS will not submit music during this Grammy cycle.
Still, the announcement follows the Recording Academy’s June launch of Best Asian Pop Music Performance. The category recognizes Asian pop performances, including K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop, that make meaningful use of one or more Asian languages.
The new award has drawn mixed responses across K-pop spaces. Some see a dedicated category as overdue recognition for Asian pop’s global reach, while others worry it could place Asian acts outside the Grammys’ most visible pop and general categories. BTS’s statement speaks to that divide without explicitly assigning a motive to the Academy.
What BTS fans should watch next
BTS has a long history with the Grammys, but no win so far. The Recording Academy lists five nominations for the group, including Best Pop Duo/Group Performance nominations for “Dynamite,” “Butter,” and “My Universe,” plus nominations tied to Music of the Spheres and “Yet To Come.”
That record makes this decision more than a routine awards-season update. BTS had previously competed in major Grammy fields, and its current commercial momentum would have made the group a major name in discussions around the new category.
The Recording Academy had not issued a public response at the time of reporting. The submission window is reported to run through August 28, ahead of the February 7, 2027 ceremony, leaving fans to watch whether the Academy addresses BTS’s message or whether other K-pop artists enter the new field.
Update (August 19, 2026): Recording Academy signals Asian pop category review
The Recording Academy has indicated that changes to Best Asian Pop Music Performance could be under consideration following BTS’s decision not to submit work for the 2027 Grammys. CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said conversations with stakeholders over the previous two weeks showed that some artists feel the category does not represent their music in the way they want.
Mason said the Academy’s management and Board are committed to keeping pace with the music’s progress and ensuring the musicians it aims to honor feel seen and heard through its actions. Reports say the Academy may revise the category, but no specific change has been announced.