BTS boycotts 2027 Grammys over language requirement in new Asian pop music category

BTS will not submit its latest album for the 2027 Grammy Awards, citing concerns over music being categorized by language or region. The decision comes after the Recording Academy introduced five new Grammy categories, including Best Asian Pop Music Performance, which requires recordings submitted to feature meaningful use of an Asian language.

While BTS has released music in Korean throughout their career, the group's biggest hit this year, Swim, is predominantly in English, making it ineligible for the new category. In a statement posted to social media, BTS said they hope music can be "heard and loved rather than being distinguished by region or language."

Music commentator Eric Alper says the Recording Academy's intentions may be positive, but the category's language requirement is where artists take issue. "It's the language requirement, the idea that a recording needs meaningful use of an Asian language to qualify, that can feel like it's defining an artist's identity from the outside," Alper said. For a group like BTS, whose recent music has increasingly featured English-language songs, the rule creates an unintended contradiction. "I know where the Grammys are coming from with their support of as many artists as possible, but BTS is clearly saying, 'We don't need to sing in a specific language for anyone.'"

BTS joins a growing list of artists who have publicly boycotted or withdrawn from the Grammy Awards. The Weeknd famously stopped submitting music for Grammy consideration in 2021 after receiving no nominations despite the massive commercial and critical success of After Hours. Drake has also previously boycotted or withdrawn from Grammy consideration.

According to Alper, these decisions often stem from similar concerns: an artist feeling that the awards process doesn't match the scale or impact of their work, and using their platform to push for change. "A single boycott rarely changes anything overnight, but a pattern of artists speaking up clearly shapes how the Academy evolves," he said. Alper believes continued dialogue between the Recording Academy and the artists the category is intended to recognize will be key, noting that categories like this tend to improve through iteration.