K-pop supergroup BTS announced Wednesday they will not submit music for consideration at the 69th Grammy Awards, scheduled for Feb. 7.
All seven members — RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook — posted identical statements on their individual Instagram accounts, saying they hope their music can be judged on its own merits “rather than being divided by region or language.”
The announcement comes about a month after the Recording Academy unveiled a new best Asian pop music performance category, intended to honor K-pop, J-pop and C-pop acts that sing in Asian languages.
Fans and commentators criticized the new category as segregating Asian artists from the Grammys’ main pop fields rather than including them on equal footing.
BTS has been nominated five times for a Grammy since 2021, including bids for best pop duo/group performance and best music video, but has never won. All seven members have held voting membership in the Recording Academy since 2019.
Following the members’ completion of South Korea’s mandatory military service, the band’s fifth studio album, “Arirang,” was released in March. topping Billboard’s album and singles charts.
Now on tour, BTS just wrapped the European leg of its “World Tour Arirang” in Paris.
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