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[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE]

2 clusters · 226 sources · 3 days · First seen 3 days ago · Last updated about 18 hours ago

Categories: CULTURE

BTS boycott of 2027 Grammys

Entities: Best Asian Pop Music Performance · BTS · Harvey Mason Jr. · Grammy Awards · Recording Academy

Overview

On 29 July 2026 BTS announced via Instagram that it would not submit any material for the 69th Grammy Awards scheduled for February 2027, arguing that music should be appreciated without division by region or language. The boycott was prompted by the Recording Academy’s creation of a new “Best Asian Pop Music Performance” category, which requires a substantial portion of the song to be in an Asian language. BTS’s comeback album Arirang, over 80 % English, is therefore ineligible.

The seven members posted synchronized Instagram messages on July 29, reiterating their call for music to be heard and loved without regional or linguistic segregation. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. expressed disappointment but stressed that the category is intended to celebrate Asian pop and does not preclude entries in general‑field awards. HYBE clarified that the decision is a personal stance by BTS, not a label‑wide policy.

BTS has received five Grammy nominations between 2021 and 2024 but has never won. Arirang topped the Billboard 200, South Korea’s Circle Chart, Japan’s Oricon, Germany’s Album Chart and the UK Official Albums Chart. Fans and scholars described the boycott as a challenge to the Western‑centric awards system, noting that BTS now appears confident it no longer needs validation from Western institutions.

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[DISPUTED] BTS announced they will not submit any music for the 2027 Grammy Awards. (multiple)
[DISPUTED] BTS announced it will not submit music for the 69th Grammy Awards (2026). (BTS statement via Instagram Stories)
[● 29 SOURCES] BTS announced they will not submit music for the 2027 Grammy Awards. (BTS's Instagram posts and multiple news reports)
[● 26 SOURCES] The 69th Grammy Awards ceremony is scheduled for 7 February 2027. (multiple)
[● 24 SOURCES] BTS has been nominated for Grammy awards five times but has never won. (multiple)
[● 20 SOURCES] BTS announced on July 29 2026 they will not submit any music for the 2027 Grammy Awards. (supporting_article_ids)
[● 20 SOURCES] More than 80% of the lyrics on BTS’s album Arirang are sung in English, making it ineligible for the new category. (supporting_article_ids)
[● 20 SOURCES] The decision was made via coordinated Instagram posts by all seven BTS members. (All members posted identical messages on their personal Instagram accounts.)
[● 20 SOURCES] BTS cited protest against the new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category as the reason for their boycott. (Their Instagram statement referenced the category and its language requirement.)
[● 20 SOURCES] The new Grammy category requires a “meaningful use” of at least one Asian language. (Recording Academy’s category description.)
[● 20 SOURCES] The Recording Academy introduced five new categories for the 69th Grammy Awards on June 16, including Best Asian Pop Music Performance. (Academy announcement.)
[● 20 SOURCES] The announcement was made through coordinated Instagram posts by all seven BTS members on July 29, 2026. (multiple)

Timeline

about 18 hours ago

[CULTURE] 13 sources
BTS withdraws from 2027 Grammy Awards over new Asian Pop category
BTS announced they will not submit music for the 2027 Grammys, citing the new Asian Pop category as segregation; HYBE says the boycott is personal, while the Recording Academy’s CEO expresses disappointment.
3 days ago

[CULTURE] 219 sources
BTS Declares Boycott of 2027 Grammy Awards Over New Asian Pop Category
BTS will not submit music for the 2027 Grammys, protesting a new Asian‑pop category that excludes English‑heavy songs, says the group in coordinated Instagram posts.

Sources

6abc.com · abc11.com · abc13.com · abc30.com · abc7.com · agora-web.jp · aktivni.si · ampthemag.com · arynews.tv · avinor.no · bandwagon.asia · baogiaothong.vn · barq-news.com · basicfamouspeople.com · basketsession.com · bbcmundo.com · blog.nfb.ca · bolnews.com · breitbart.com · ca.sports.yahoo.com · cadena100.es · calibre800.com · canal4.com.ni · canalcapital.gov.co · caretas.pe · cinema.sapo.pt · clicnoticias.com.mx · cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com · cnbcindonesia.com · cnn.gr · codigoqro.mx · contigopuebla.mx · contramuro.com · contrapunto.com · cosmopolitan.com · courrierinternational.com · cremation.com · culturacolectiva.com · dailytimes.com.pk · de.euronews.com · deadline.com · deadlinehollywooddaily.com · deccanchronicle.com · diario.mx · diariodemorelos.com · diarioroatan.com · digitalmusicnews.com · digitalnewsreport.com

This summary has been updated 3 times: see revision history