SEOUL (ANN/THE KOREA HERALD) – BTS has opted not to submit its music for consideration at next year’s Grammy Awards, a move that has renewed discussion over whether artists should be recognised based on musical merit alone rather than regional or language-based categories.
In coordinated statements shared on Wednesday, all seven members of the K-pop group said they hoped their music would be appreciated “for what it is, beyond region or language,” signalling their decision to forgo Grammy consideration.
The announcement has reignited debate over the Recording Academy’s newly introduced Best Asian Pop Music Performance category, with supporters describing it as overdue recognition while critics argue it risks separating Asian artists from mainstream competition.
Stephanie Choi, an assistant professor of ethnomusicology at the University of Colorado Boulder, questioned the rationale behind grouping artists according to race rather than musical style.
She argued that the category is defined by the identity of performers instead of the characteristics of the music itself, warning that such an approach could reinforce the perception that Asian musicians require separate recognition rather than being judged on equal footing with their peers.
The Grammys have faced criticism over their voting system and award structure for decades.
In 1989, members of the hip-hop community boycotted the ceremony after the newly established Best Rap Performance category was omitted from the televised broadcast. Rapper Jay-Z also skipped the 1999 ceremony in solidarity with DMX, while Canadian singer The Weeknd announced in 2021 that he would no longer submit his work after receiving no nominations for the commercially successful Blinding Lights and After Hours.
BTS’ latest decision has also sparked strong reactions among fans, with many interpreting it as a stand against what they believe is the industry’s continued tendency to classify Asian artists separately from Western acts.
US fan Ashleigh Wojciechowski described the new Asian pop category as outdated, saying she believed BTS had grown tired of being placed into separate classifications instead of competing alongside all artists.
The Recording Academy, however, defended the addition of the award, maintaining that its purpose is to expand recognition rather than create divisions.
Recording Academy Chief Executive Officer Harvey Mason Jr. said he respected BTS’ decision but stressed that the category was introduced to celebrate the diversity and rapid growth of pop music emerging from Asia.
He also noted that artists entering the Asian pop category remain eligible for the Grammys’ prestigious General Field awards, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year, emphasising that nominations in regional categories do not prevent artists from competing for the ceremony’s highest honours.
Not everyone agrees the issue is straightforward.
Music critic Lim Hee-yun argued that the Grammys should primarily be viewed as an American music awards programme rather than an international competition.
Drawing comparisons with filmmaker Bong Joon-ho’s observation that the Academy Awards are a local event rather than a global film festival, Lim said the Grammys should not be regarded in the same way as worldwide competitions such as the Olympics or FIFA World Cup.
From that perspective, he suggested the introduction of an Asian pop category reflects commercial considerations within the US music industry rather than an attempt to sideline Asian performers.
Lim added that if the existence of an Asian pop category is questioned, similar arguments could be made about other region-based awards, including Latin pop, making it difficult to determine where such distinctions should end.
While he believes music awards are ideally organised by genres such as hip-hop, R&B and rap, Lim said the Recording Academy’s regional categories are largely shaped by the structure of the American music market rather than an effort to define music globally.
-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin