Variety reported in early October that Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy , confirmed that the Best Asian Pop Music Performance category will still be included in the 2027 Grammy Awards, despite the controversy.
Mr. Mason said he has been working with leaders in the Asian music community over the past few weeks to listen and engage in dialogue, thereby clarifying misconceptions related to the new category.
“We understand this conclusion won’t please everyone. But at the same time, we believe it’s the right conclusion for the music community as a whole. As with all other categories, we continue to actively engage with the music community and strive to honor this genre – and all genres – in the best way possible. We look forward to honoring the artists nominated in the Asian Pop Performance category at the 2027 Grammys,” said Mason.
The new category sparks controversy.
According to AllKpop , the Best Asian Pop Music Performance category was announced in June. The category includes contemporary popular music from the Asian market, including Kpop, J-pop, and C-pop.
According to official regulations, recordings must make significant use of one or more Asian languages. Songs performed by Asian artists but entirely in English are not eligible for consideration. The eligibility period for the 69th Grammy Awards runs from August 31, 2025 to August 28, 2026.
The new category has sparked mixed reactions. Public opinion is questioning whether creating a separate category for Asian Pop truly recognizes or inadvertently separates Asian artists from the main Grammy stage.
On July 29th, BTS announced they would not be submitting their work for the Grammy Awards. All seven members posted messages on their personal social media accounts, expressing their hope that music would be listened to and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language.
Stray Kids also made a similar announcement shortly afterward. The group's management company, JYP Entertainment, confirmed that no products had been shipped, but did not disclose the specific reason.
The controversy surrounding the Best Asian Pop Performance also revives the ongoing debate at the Latin Grammy Awards about how music awards categorize artists by region and language.
The Latin Grammy Awards were established to increase the presence of Latin music in the major awards system. However, the creation of separate categories for Spanish-language, Portuguese-language , and Latin-language music has repeatedly raised questions about the boundary between "celebration" and "categorization."
BlackPink is not eligible.
The boycott of the Grammys by BTS and Stray Kids subsequently shifted attention to other K-pop artists. Public opinion was curious about who would be eligible to compete for the first-ever Best Asian Pop Performance award.
BlackPink was among the names mentioned, but the group's recent music releases did not meet the category's requirements.
BlackPink released their third mini-album, Deadline , on February 27th, which includes five songs: Jump, Go, Me and My, Champion , and Fxxxboy.
Jump was released as a digital single on July 11, 2025, before the eligibility period began, and was submitted for the 68th Grammy Awards. The other four songs in Deadline are all performed entirely in English, thus failing to meet the language requirement of the new category.
The members' solo releases also seem to have failed to meet the eligibility criteria. Jennie released her digital EP , Fallen Angel, on August 28th, the last day of the eligibility period. The songs on the EP are all performed entirely in English.
The race for the first-ever Best Asian Pop Performance award is taking shape, albeit without some of Kpop's most prominent artists.
The 69th Grammy Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on February 7, 2027.
BTS has been nominated for a Grammy five times, but the group has never won. "Golden ," a song from the hit K-pop film "Demon Hunters " performed by the fictional group Huntr/x with vocals by EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami, is considered K-pop's first Grammy win. The hit song won Best Song Written for Visual Media earlier this year.
Source: https://tienphong.vn/bts-tay-chay-grammy-post1882095.tpo
