BTS Say They Are Not Submitting Their Music for Grammy Consideration, CEO Responds

BTS have announced they will not be submitting their music for consideration at the upcoming Grammy Awards.

In a statement shared with fans, the group wrote:

“We have decided not to submit our work for this year’s Grammys. We hope that music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being categorized by region or language. Thank you to our ARMY and everyone who has always been with us.”

The announcement comes amid ongoing conversation around the Recording Academy’s newly introduced Asian Pop category, which some fans felt could sideline artists like BTS from the show’s top honors. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. addressed the discussion directly, saying:

“I am saddened to hear that BTS has chosen not to participate in the Grammy Awards process this year, but as a music creator, I understand and respect their decision. […] I do want to clarify something that seems to be getting lost in the conversation. The Asian Pop category was created to celebrate the depth, diversity and extraordinary growth of pop artistry coming out of Asia. The spirit of this new category is to shine a dedicated spotlight on these important artists. More categories mean more artists’ work is recognized. It’s never to divide, but to expand who is recognized by our 15,000 Grammy voters. I also want to be very clear: submitting music in a genre category such as Asian Pop, or Jazz or Country does not exclude an artist from also submitting and being considered in the General Field categories, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year. Those categories remain open to any eligible recording, regardless of genre. Recognition in a genre category and recognition in the General Field are not mutually exclusive. An artist can absolutely pursue both.”