BTS announced Tuesday that they will not enter any recordings for the 2027 Grammy Awards, saying they want music judged on its artistic merit rather than regional or linguistic origin. The South Korean septet shared the decision on Instagram, stepping away from the ceremony scheduled for February 7, 2027.
The move follows the Recording Academy's June introduction of five new categories, including Best Asian Pop Music Performance. BTS's comeback album 'Arirang,' released in March after the group's military service, features more than 80 percent English lyrics, disqualifying it from the new Asian pop category. The group has never won a Grammy despite nominations for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance from 2021 through 2023.
BTS returned to performance in March with a Netflix-streamed concert drawing 18.4 million viewers, and 'Arirang' has become one of the year's most commercially successful releases, selling four million copies on its first day.