All seven members of BTS — RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook — announced on July 29 that they will not submit their music to the 2027 Grammy Awards, removing their comeback album ARIRANG from contention at the ceremony scheduled for February 7, 2027.

The members posted identical statements to their individual Instagram accounts. "We have decided not to submit to the Grammys this year," they wrote, adding: "We hope music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language." Music Business Worldwide reported the statements on July 30. Reuters and ABC News Australia confirmed the withdrawal, with both outlets citing the group's concerns about a new Grammy category.

The category at issue is Best Asian Pop Music Performance, one of five new awards at the 69th Grammys. The Recording Academy unveiled it on June 16, just over six weeks before BTS pulled out. Its definition covers "artistic excellence in Asian pop music performances originating from or widely recognized within Asian markets, including but not limited to K-pop, J-pop and C-pop, with meaningful use of one or more Asian languages."

BTS did not name the category in their posts. The connection was drawn by Reuters, which reported that the group was citing the new Asian pop award as their reason for withdrawing.

Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, the organisation behind the Grammys, said he was "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." He made the remarks in a statement posted to his own Instagram account, as reported by Music Business Worldwide.

Mason defended the new category. "The Asian Pop category was created to celebrate the depth, diversity and extraordinary growth of pop artistry coming out of Asia," he said. "The spirit of this new category is to shine a dedicated spotlight on these important artists." He also sought to counter the idea that the category walls artists off: "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." The General Field — Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year — remains open to any artist entered in a genre category, Mason clarified.

HYBE, the South Korean entertainment company that operates as BTS's label, told Korean media that the decision was the group's alone and not a company-level boycott. Other HYBE artists who wish to enter the Grammys will "proceed with the submissions as scheduled," the company said.

The timing puts two milestones in tension. BTS released ARIRANG as a comeback album, and the Recording Academy launched a category that, on paper, was built to honour exactly the kind of work BTS makes. Instead, the group has stepped away from both.