Grammy Drama
Experts say the group’s decision reflects their unique status in the industry
On July 29 — a month after the Recording Academy created a new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category for the Grammy Awards — the seven BTS members shared a collective message on their individual Instagram accounts that made international headlines. “We have decided not to submit an entry for Grammy consideration this year,” they wrote. “We hope music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language. We thank [our fandom] ARMY and everyone who has always stood by us.”
Many focused on RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook’s choice to relay their message in Korean, rather than English. That choice was widely interpreted as indicating their unwillingness to be marginalized and then funneled into a niche category that is widely speculated to have been created as a way to deal with the popularity of K-pop without rewarding the artists in more equitable general fields like Album of the Year or Record of the Year. (Grammy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. moved quickly to respond, saying he was “saddened” by BTS’ decision and adding, “The Asian Pop category was created to celebrate the depth, diversity and extraordinary growth of pop artistry coming out of Asia…More categories mean more artists’ work is recognized.”)
