Grammys to roll out new ‘Asian Pop’ category despite BTS boycott

The Recording Academy will proceed with its new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category at the 2027 Grammy Awards, despite criticism from some members of the Asian music community and K-Pop supergroup BTS’ decision not to submit its recordings this year.

The body responsible for awarding Grammys confirmed the category will remain on the ballot following weeks of discussions with artists, executives and industry leaders from across the Asian music community.

First-round voting will begin on October 12, with nominees to be announced on November 16.

Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said the organisation heard both criticism and support during its consultations, but the strongest response was in favour of keeping the category.

Recording Academy acknowledges mixed reactions

“Over the past several weeks the Academy has been conducting listening sessions and have been in dialogue with leaders of the Asian music community,” Mason said in a statement released on Thursday. 

“The journey has been rewarding and inspiring. Our organization is at its best when we engage deeply with music people and go the extra mile to understand their lived experiences.”

Mason acknowledged that some members of the community did not support the category, while others had concerns based on what the academy described as inaccurate information.

“In this case, we heard candid feedback from people in our community who don’t support the continuation of this category,” he said. 

“We also heard from people who didn’t have accurate information about the category, and having space to clear up misperceptions has been especially valuable. 

“But by far, the loudest feedback we heard was from people who were enthusiastic supporters of the category, fellow music creators expressing their encouragement for keeping it.”

The academy said the category had also received a robust number of submissions, which it cited alongside community feedback as evidence of broad-based support.

“We understand this conclusion will not satisfy everyone, and that never feels good,” Mason said. 

“But at the same time, we are confident it’s the right conclusion for the music community overall.”

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BTS pulls out

The category was announced June 16 alongside four other new categories and rule changes for the 2027 Grammys.

Seven weeks later, BTS announced it would not submit its recordings for this year’s ceremony as a form of protest against the new category.

“We have decided not to submit to the Grammys this year,” a translation of the group members’ individual messages read. 

“I hope that music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language. Thank you to ARMY and everyone who is always with us.”

The academy subsequently held discussions with members and leaders of the Asian pop community, including representatives of K-pop, J-pop, C-pop and music from India.

On August 14, Mason said the Grammy organisation recognised concerns that the category might not represent the music some artists create in the way they wanted.

“As a musician myself, I take that to heart,” he said at the time.

Following those discussions, the academy decided to proceed with the category for its first awards cycle while leaving open the possibility of changes during its annual review.

Category rules clarified

Some objections centred on concerns that the new category would prevent Asian artists from competing in the Grammys’ General Field categories, including Best Album, Best Record, Song of the Year and Best New Artist awards.

The academy said that concern is unfounded, noting that artists from all genres can compete in the General Field.

However, an individual recording can be entered in only one performance category. 

A recording submitted for Best Asian Pop Music Performance cannot also be entered for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, although the same artist can be nominated in multiple performance categories using different recordings.

The academy said its review of submissions for the 69th annual Grammy Awards showed that K-pop, J-pop, C-pop and other forms of Asian pop are not limited to the new category and can qualify for other categories based on their respective criteria.

The new award recognises artistic excellence in Asian pop performances, with eligible recordings including contemporary popular music originating from or widely recognised within Asian markets.

Recordings must feature meaningful use of one or more Asian languages, while recordings performed entirely in English remain eligible in other appropriate categories.

The academy also said eligibility is determined by musical style rather than the ethnicity or nationality of the performers.

Recognition or boxing minorities?

The Grammys have been under fire many times for allegedly boxing some artists, especially minorities, into specific categories.

An example is the “Urban” Grammy categories, which some Black artists say are the Grammys’ way of excluding them from main categories.

Tyler, the Creator, who won the 2020 Best Rap Album Grammy for his experimental project “IGOR,” said half of him felt like the nomination was a “backhanded slap.”

The Recording Academy later retired the use of “Urban” in its categories in 2020.

Then, in February 2025, Beyoncé won Best Country Album for “Cowboy Carter,” becoming the first Black woman to do so.

The album talks about the country genre, especially race and how Black musicians are often excluded from discussions about it despite being heavily interconnected in its history.

Four months after Beyoncé’s win, the Recording Academy announced that the Best Country category would be split into two starting in 2026: Best Contemporary Country Album and Best Traditional Country Album.

The institution described traditional country music as “country recordings that adhere to the more traditional sound structures of the country genre, including rhythm and singing style, lyrical content, as well as traditional country instrumentation.”

Meanwhile, the contemporary country music category is for recognising “country music that remains reminiscent and relevant to the legacy of country music’s culture, while also engaging in more contemporary music forms.”

The decision drew mixed reactions, given its timing following Beyoncé’s historic win.

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