A Barrier Disguised as “Diversity”: BTS Challenges the Grammys by Refusing to Cross It

BTS Boycott Reignites Debate Over Racial Discrimination Following Creation of New “Asian Pop” Category

BTS Had Been Nominated in Major Categories for Years

“We Hope Music Will Not Be Divided by Region or Language”

Group Declines to Submit Music and Announces Boycott

Grammys Continue to Face Criticism Over Their North American and White-Centered Selection System

The Weeknd and Drake Have Also Boycotted the Awards

Critics Ask: “Why Is There No ‘European Pop Music’ Category?”

Should K-pop be confined to a separate category labeled “Asian music”?

The controversy surrounding the Grammys’ newly introduced Best Asian Pop Music Performance category has intensified following BTS’s announcement that it would boycott the awards. The decision has once again placed the Grammys’ perceived white-centered approach under scrutiny.

International media outlets supported BTS’s decision, pointing out that the Grammys have never created a “European Pop Music” category for artists such as Dua Lipa or Ed Sheeran. ARMY, BTS’s global fandom, also rallied behind the group, declaring that “BTS does not need the Grammys.”

On July 29, the members of BTS announced through their individual Instagram accounts:

“We have decided not to submit our music for consideration at this year’s Grammys. We hope music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language.”

Their decision was prompted by the Grammys’ launch of the Best Asian Pop Music Performance category in June.

The Recording Academy, which organizes the Grammy Awards, said the new category was intended to “recognize artistic excellence in Asian pop music performances.” However, critics argued that placing globally successful K-pop artists such as BTS into a regional category could reduce their chances of winning one of the Grammys’ major awards.

BTS first appeared on the Grammy stage as presenters in 2019. From 2020 through 2023, the group received consecutive nominations, helping open a new chapter for K-pop at the Grammys. Despite these nominations, BTS has never won a Grammy Award.

Following the boycott announcement, BTS performed in New Jersey, United States, on August 1 and 2. During the concerts, the group’s leader RM altered the lyrics of “MIC Drop.”

“We will simply keep going our own way. We were born in Korea, and that is why they do not really know us.”

Fans interpreted the modified lyrics as a direct message to the Grammys.

ARMY also publicly supported BTS’s decision. At the concerts, fans held signs reading, “What good are the Grammys when we have ARMY?” and “The Grammys created division.”

Online, supporters have responded to social media posts criticizing the boycott by using the hashtag #ArtHasNoAliens.

The phrase references “Aliens,” a track from BTS’s album ARIRANG, released in April. The song satirizes the way Western societies sometimes define Asians as outsiders or foreigners.

Beginning on July 29, “Aliens” topped the iTunes Top Songs chart in 78 countries for four consecutive days.

Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, responded one day after BTS’s announcement.

“While we are saddened, we respect BTS’s decision,” he said. “The existence of genre-specific categories does not prevent artists from competing in general categories such as Album of the Year or Song of the Year.”

The Grammys have long faced criticism for selecting and evaluating music through a predominantly Western and white-centered perspective.

In 2020, artists including The Weeknd and Drake announced boycotts after criticizing the Grammys’ treatment and evaluation of Black artists. The Recording Academy revised its nomination process the following year.

Nevertheless, critics say the organization’s membership remains heavily centered on North America and white musicians. Among the Grammys’ newly admitted members in 2025, only 5% self-identified as Asian or Pacific Islander.

On August 3, Forbes reported that the latest controversy extended beyond BTS and had revived a longstanding debate over how the Grammys recognize music from different regions.

In 2023, the Grammys introduced the Best African Music Performance category, covering genres such as Afrobeats and Amapiano. At the time, critics similarly questioned whether the category would confine African music to a separate regional space.

Others argue that regional categories can create opportunities for artists who may otherwise receive limited international exposure.

Forbes cited Tyla, the first winner of Best African Music Performance, as an example of how such categories can serve as a gateway for regional music to reach a global audience.

Bad Bunny’s success at the Grammys was also presented as evidence that regional categories do not necessarily prevent artists from entering the major general categories. In February, he won not only in a Latin music category but also received the award for Album of the Year.

However, Forbes warned that regional categories, regardless of their intentions, may reinforce the perception that music from certain parts of the world belongs outside the Grammys’ most prestigious categories.

“The Grammys do not create a ‘Best European Pop Music Performance’ category for Dua Lipa or Ed Sheeran,” the publication noted. “Applying a separate category to Asian music, while white English-language music remains unclassified by region, may raise serious questions of fairness.”

It remains uncertain whether BTS will appear at the 69th Grammy Awards, scheduled to take place next February.

Nevertheless, the group’s boycott has prompted the global music industry to reconsider how non-English-language music should be evaluated.

As K-pop is no longer a peripheral genre but a major force in the global mainstream, the Grammys are now being asked to answer a difficult question:

Does separating regional music into dedicated categories truly expand diversity—or does it simply create another boundary?