Rabat – BTS has announced it will not submit its music for consideration at the upcoming Grammy Awards, a decision the group tied directly to a new category the Recording Academy introduced last month.

All seven members posted the same story simultaneously on their social media accounts.

“We’ve decided not to submit our work for this year’s Grammy Awards,” the statement read.

“We hope music will be recognized and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language,” the members added, thanking their fanbase, ARMY, for their continued support.

The announcement comes about a month after the Academy unveiled five new award categories, among them Best Asian Pop Music Performance, set to debut at the upcoming ceremony.

According to the Academy’s own description, the category recognizes artistic excellence in Asian pop music performances originating from or widely recognized within Asian markets, including but not limited to K-pop, J-pop and C-pop, with meaningful use of one or more Asian languages.

On paper, the category was framed as recognition for a genre that has reshaped global charts. 

The announcement quickly drew criticism from fans and industry observers who worried that creating a separate category could place Asian artists into a limited classification rather than allowing them to compete equally across broader award categories.

BTS’s decision landed during a high point in the group’s career. Its members reunited for full group activities after completing mandatory military service in South Korea, and their comeback album, “ARIRANG,” released in March, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Given that momentum, the group was widely seen as a frontrunner for the new Asian pop category and had previously been nominated in categories including Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video, though it has never won a Grammy.

The main reason behind BTS’s decision is that the Best Asian Pop Music Performance category separates Asian artists from the Grammys’ major genre-wide races instead of giving them greater recognition.

In the same categories, artists like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, or Bad Bunny compete without being defined by geography or language. The group’s statement did not rule out submitting to the Grammys in future years, framing this year’s withdrawal as a stand on principle rather than a permanent break from the awards.