Grammys Mull Asian Pop Category After BTS Boycott

As of August 16, 2026, the Recording Academy says it may rework the new Asian Pop category it unveiled in June, roughly two weeks after BTS announced it would boycott the Grammys. CEO Harvey Mason Jr. acknowledged in a statement that some artists feel the category doesn't fit their music, signaling the Academy is open to changes. BTS has said it won't submit its fifth studio album for next year's ceremony, amid concerns the new category could push K-pop out of the main awards races.

5BTS's total Grammy nominations (as of August 2026)

0BTS's Grammy wins to date

2019The year BTS first got tied to the Grammys

Key points

Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. issued a statement raising the possibility of reworking the Asian Pop category.
The Academy announced the new category in June, covering K-pop, J-pop, C-pop and other Asian-language pop music.
BTS pushed back on the launch by announcing it won't submit its fifth studio album for next year's ceremony.
The Academy has been meeting with K-pop, J-pop, C-pop and Indian music industry figures, while also consulting its board and nominations committee.

In June, the Recording Academy announced plans for a new award category spotlighting Asian pop music — a lane for songs made in Korean, Japanese, Chinese and other Asian languages, meant to cover K-pop, J-pop and C-pop under one umbrella. But the announcement immediately drew pushback from parts of the music industry, with critics arguing it could box in K-pop, now a genuinely global force, and edge it further away from the marquee races like Album, Record and Song of the Year.

Against that backdrop, BTS said it would sit out this awards cycle with its first new album since its third full-length release. The group didn't spell out its reasoning in detail, saying only that it hopes its music is judged on its own terms rather than boxed in by region or language. Still, the timing led many inside and outside the industry to read the move as a direct response to the new Asian category.

As the controversy simmered, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. addressed it in a recent public statement, saying he's aware that some creators feel the new category doesn't match how they see their own music. Mason, a musician himself, said he takes that feedback seriously and noted that with more than 100 categories now on the books, this is a chance to take a fresh look at how the Academy structures its awards.

Academy staff have reportedly been meeting in recent weeks with artists, labels and management teams representing K-pop, J-pop, C-pop and Indian pop music. Outlets report the Academy is also weighing whether to convene its full board and its nominations committee to revisit how the new category was designed in the first place. The next ceremony, covering work released between late August 2025 and late August 2026, is set for early next year, leaving open exactly when a final call on the category will land.

In Korea right nowAt home, many are sympathetic to the concern that K-pop — after years of building genuine global reach — could end up sidelined from the main awards races by being funneled into an Asia-only category. Among fans, the prevailing view is that this concern is exactly what drove BTS to withdraw its album without much explanation, and the Academy's openness to a rethink is being read as a case of K-pop's global standing actually moving the needle on how a major awards show operates. Still, some are cautious, noting it's unclear whether the category will be scrapped outright or simply renamed or reworked, and say it's worth waiting for a concrete announcement.

FAQ

What exactly is the Asian Pop category?

It's a new award category the Recording Academy announced in June for music made in one or more Asian languages, intended to cover K-pop, J-pop, C-pop and similar genres.

Why is BTS sitting out next year's ceremony?

The group hasn't given a specific reason, saying only that it hopes its music won't be boxed in by region or language. The industry widely reads this as pushback against the new Asian Pop category.

Will the Recording Academy actually scrap the category?

Nothing is decided yet. The CEO raised the possibility of a review, and next steps will be shaped by discussions with K-pop, J-pop, C-pop and Indian music industry figures, along with the board and nominations committee.