Grammys Push Forward with Asian Pop Category Despite BTS Boycott

연합뉴스 · October 2, 2026 at 2:02 AM UTC

American entertainment outlet Variety reported that Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. stated through a statement on the first that the organization intends to maintain the Asian pop category. The Recording Academy plans to keep this specific category in place at least through the year 2027. Previously in June, the Grammy Awards announced the creation of the Best Asian Pop Music Performance category to separately classify Asian regional music from Korea, China, and Japan. Critics pointed out that creating this separate category might merely be a token gesture despite K-pop already entering the musical mainstream. Consequently, BTS immediately declared a boycott, expressing their hope that music would be appreciated and heard for itself rather than being divided by region or language.