BTS won’t submit music for consideration at next year’s Grammy Awards, members of the K-pop supergroup introduced Wednesday, just a little over a month after the Recording Academy confirmed that the 2027 ceremony will embrace an Asian pop music efficiency class for the primary time.
“We have decided not to submit to the Grammys this year,” the band stated in an announcement shared on Instagram by all seven members, including: “I hope that music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language.”
BTS have loved huge success since forming in 2010. They picked up the Billboard Music Award (BBMA) for Top Social Artist 5 instances between 2017 and 2021, have been named Artist of the Year on the American Music Awards in 2021 and 2026, and have become probably the most awarded group in BBMA historical past in 2022.
But some followers concern the introduction of an award outlined by geography minimizes the worth of artists’ work.
BTS “incapsulate everything I love about music,” Will Scragg, 27, informed NCS. The English superfan has seen the band twice this summer time — as soon as in his hometown of London and once more touring abroad to Munich.
“I really appreciate the amount of effort they put into everything. They truly love performing, and witnessing all of that live is such an amazing and worthwhile experience.”
Scragg helps BTS’ choice to abstain from Grammy consideration — regardless of admitting he had anticipated the band to rack up quite a few Grammy nominations this time.
Their sixth Korean-language album, “Arirang,” stormed the worldwide charts when it was launched again in March, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 and reaching the highest spot in 23 international locations, together with the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan.
Scragg stated he was “disappointed, and a little confused” when he heard the Grammys deliberate to launch an Asian music class.
“I feel like it’s a way to keep BTS out of the main, more prestigious, categories,” Scragg defined. “It feels like it’s a way to sideline Asian artists.”
And Scragg isn’t the one fan who thinks the choice is rooted in exclusion.
“I believe that the Grammys need artists like BTS to remain relevant,” Eleri Williams, 22, from Wales informed NCS.
Williams, who has seen the band on 10 events, together with in Seoul, Las Vegas and Paris, described an appreciation for the music shared by followers throughout the globe, despite the fact that many don’t converse Korean, the language by which a lot of BTS’ songs are sung.
“I think that the purpose of music is to bring people together, and this is just another form of segregation,” she added.
Still, classes decided by tradition or location are usually not uncommon on the Grammys. Awards for Best Latin Jazz Album, Best Tropical Latin Album and Best African Music Performance are given out yearly.
According to the foundations and pointers printed forward of the 69th Grammy awards in February next 12 months, a track is eligible in just one efficiency class in any given 12 months.
So, if BTS have been to enter a track into the Best Asian Pop Music Performance class, they couldn’t additionally enter that very same track into the broader Best Pop Duo/Group Performance class — by which they have been nominated in 2021 and 2022 — and vice versa.
Scragg stated he acknowledges that narrower classes just like the Asian award will be an effective way for lesser-known artists to obtain consideration on a world stage.
But he argues that BTS has already exceeded that stage and stated he respects the band for their dignified stance. “BTS have stood their ground and I’m proud of them for knowing their self worth,” he stated.
BTS’ return to the charts within the spring was extremely anticipated, because the performers had beforehand taken a four-year hiatus to allow all seven members to finish South Korea’s necessary army service.
NCS has reached out to the Recording Academy for remark.