BTS Declines to Submit ARIRANG for 2027 Grammy Consideration

July 29, 2026 — BTS announces via Instagram that they will not submit their music for 2027 Grammy Awards consideration, roughly a month after the Recording Academy introduced a new 'Best Asian Pop Music Performance' category as one of five new categories for the 69th Grammy Awards. "We have decided not to submit an entry for Grammy consideration this year," the group wrote. "We hope music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language." The statement does not name the new category directly, but its timing and language have drawn wide comparisons to criticism that the category sidelines K-pop and other Asian acts into a separate lane rather than competing in the main categories where BTS has previously earned five nominations without a win.