Grammy CEO 'saddened' over BTS' decision to withdraw from 2027 race
Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, issued a statement on Wednesday expressing sadness over BTS’ decision not to enter the Grammys this year, Qazinform News Agency reports.
In his statement, the Grammy chief explained that the Asian Pop nomination was added “to celebrate the depth, diversity and extraordinary growth of pop artistry coming out of Asia.”
“I am 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," the statement posted on the Grammys' Instagram account reads.
“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,” he says.
“I also want to be very clear: submitting music in a genre category such as Asian Pop, or Jazz or Country does not exclude an artist from also submitting and being considered in the General Field categories, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year. Those categories remain open to any eligible recording , regardless of genre. Recognition in a genre category and recognition in the General Field are not mutually exclusive. An artist can absolutely pursue both,” he continued.
He then noted that the Grammy remains committed "to expanding membership and listening to global voices regardless of geography or language."
Earlier, BTS said they will not submit any music for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards, a decision widely seen as a protest against the newly created Best Asian Pop Music Performance category. The group said it wanted music to be “heard and loved for what it is” rather than categorized by region or language.
