BTS will not be submitting any music for consideration at next year’s Grammy Awards.
In a coordinated Instagram post, each member of the K-pop group - RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook - shared a statement announcing the boycott.
“We have decided not to enter the Grammys this year,” a translation of the message reads. “I hope that music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language.”
The move appears to be protesting the Grammys’ recently-announced category and rule changes that includes Best Asian Pop Music Performance.
The new category recognizes performances “originating from or widely recognized in Asian markets” that make “meaningful use of one or more Asian languages.”
The group’s latest album, ARIRANG, debuted at #1 on the global album charts and is one of the best-selling albums of 2026. BTS were widely expected to be in contention for a number of major categories at the 2027 Grammys.
However, more than 80 percent of the album’s lyrics are sung in English, which would exclude them from qualifying for Best Asian Pop Music Performance. Grammy rules state that a song nominated for the category must contain “meaningful use” of an Asian language.
BTS’ label HYBE has issued a statement explaining that the decision was made solely by the group, and it will not prevent the label’s other acts from submitting their music.
“This is not a boycott at the company level,” the label says. “If other artists under our agency wish to submit entries, we plan to proceed with the submissions as scheduled.”