Artists affiliated with South Korea's four major agencies—HYBE, YG Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, and SM Entertainment—have reportedly not submitted entries to "Best Asian Pop Music Performance," a new category introduced for the 2027 Grammy Awards.

According to Grammy analysis site The Grammy Guru, artists from HYBE, YG, JYP, and SM had not submitted songs for this category as of October 15 (KST). This includes flagship artists representing each agency, such as BTS, BLACKPINK, aespa, and TWICE.

The outlet reported that the lineup of submissions became clear after the Recording Academy (NARAS) opened the first round of voting for voting members to select nominees.

The category encompasses popular music across Asian regions, including Korea, China, and Japan, and the Recording Academy announced in June this year that it would be newly added starting from the 2027 Grammys. Immediately following the announcement, criticism arose that "grouping Korean, Chinese, and Japanese music by geographic region when they share no common ground reflects a Western-centric mindset."

On July 29, BTS stated their position that they would not submit music to the 2027 Grammys in protest of the category's creation. The group conveyed the intent that "we hope music is heard and loved as music itself, rather than being divided by region or language." BTS withdrew their fifth full-length album "Arirang" from consideration for nominations.

Regarding BTS's decision, music critic Lim Jin-mo commented in a preview for tvN's "You Quiz on the Block" that aired on October 14, "BTS's declaration was thrilling. It is a declaration of independence from the United States."

The Grammy Awards is a premier American popular music awards ceremony running since 1959. While it has faced recurring criticism over conservative judging standards, controversy surrounding the creation of the Asian pop category has added to the debate this year.

(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)