BTS Rejects Grammy Awards Submission, Stating, "Music Should Not Be Divided by Region or Language"

BTS has closed the door on the Grammy Awards by themselves. Amid the trend of confining K-pop within the framework of Asia at a world-renowned music awards ceremony, they chose the card of non-submission instead of silence.

On the 29th, the seven members posted on their respective social media accounts, "We have decided not to submit our work to the Grammys this year." They continued, "We hope that music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language. Thank you always to ARMY and everyone who is with us."

Last month, the Grammy organization announced the establishment of the "Best Asian Music Performance" category. This category, targeting music that significantly uses Asian languages such as K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop, superficially appears to expand the chances of K-pop winning awards.

However, some pointed out that this move effectively seeks to exclude Asian music from major categories such as the general field. Criticism was also raised that it reflects a Western-centric perspective by grouping Korean, Chinese, and Japanese popular music, which lack distinct musical common denominators, under the regional unit of "Asia."

Previously, BTS first established a relationship with the Grammys as presenters in 2019 and was nominated for "Best Pop Duo/Group Performance" for three consecutive years starting in 2021, though they did not win. Given that BTS swept Billboard's main single and album charts in the United States with their 5th full-length album "Arirang" released in March, their decision to reject submission to the Grammy Awards is read as a meaningful raising of an issue.

This is not the first time controversy has surrounded the exclusivity of the Grammys. The Weeknd failed to secure even a single nomination in 2021 despite the global success of "Blinding Lights," while "Golden" (from "KPop Demon Hunters" OST) failed to achieve achievements outside of the OST category in February of this year, and ROSÉ's "APT." also left empty-handed.

(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)