BTS won't be winning a Grammy Award next year... Here's why.
- Published
South Korean superstar boyband BTS will not be in the running for any Grammy Awards next year.
It's because the music awards have introduced a new category called "Best Asian Pop Music Performance", but the stars say this isolates Asian artists from other popular musicians instead of competing against them.
Read on to find out more.
Five facts about the BTS comeback
- Published22 March
How did BTS become so successful?
- Published24 March 2020
What BTS song would you like to hear live?
- Published9 April
What have BTS said?
It may surprise you to know that songs and artists don't automatically get nominations for top awards like the Grammys or the Brits.
In the case of the Grammys, artists and record labels have to submit their work to The Recording Academy for consideration.
But BTS have said they will not be submitting their music this year, meaning they won't be nominated for any of the prestigious music awards.
The members of BTS say they want their music to be judged for how good it is, rather than where it comes from or what language it is sung in.
In identical posts on Instagram, the band members said:
"We have decided not to enter the Grammys this year. I hope that music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language."
What did The Recording Academy say?
BTS performed at the 64th Grammy Awards in 2022.
In the 2026 awards show, there were 95 prizes given out across genres including pop, rock, country, rap and Latin music.
Earlier this year, The Recording Academy, who run the Grammys, announced they would introduce a new category for music from South Korea, Japan, China, and elsewhere.
They have also added another regionally specific award for the best Latin song.
Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Grammys said the new award has been created to "celebrate the depth, diversity and extraordinary growth of pop artistry coming out of Asia.
"The spirit of this new category is to shine a dedicated spotlight on these important artists. 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 added.
Would they have won any awards?
Golden became the first KPOP song to win a Grammy in 2025
Having released a hugely successful new album this year, the band were likely to be nominated for some of the show's top awards including album of the year.
The lead single Swim, a US number one, was also predicted to be in the running for song of the year.
They have not yet won a Grammy, but Golden from the Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters became the first ever K-Pop song to win at the awards, when it was named best song written for visual media.
