BTS is considered the most successful K-pop artist in history in the US music market. The group has repeatedly topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, sold out global tour tickets and continuously set sales records. However, amidst a series of remarkable achievements, the 7 boys still lack an important milestone, the Grammy.
From 2021 to now, BTS has been continuously nominated in the "Best Pop Performance by Duo/Group" category with songs "Dynamite", "Butter" and "My Universe" (in collaboration with Coldplay). Although considered a bright candidate, the group has not yet been able to win.
Before BTS, many famous boy bands also experienced similar situations. Backstreet Boys and NSYNC once dominated the pop music market in the late 1990s, owning a series of hits and selling tens of millions of albums but all failed at the Grammys.
In the next generation, One Direction is no exception. The group once had the first 4 albums to top the Billboard 200, creating a global fever and owning a large fan base. However, One Direction has never even been nominated for a Grammy.
The common point of BTS, One Direction, Backstreet Boys and NSYNC is that they have great commercial influence. However, Grammys are not decided based on sales or popularity. The results are voted by members of the American Academy of Recording, based on many professional criteria such as music quality, performance and artistic value of the work.
Besides, many experts believe that idol groups have long been at a disadvantage when entering this playground. Male groups often have a large number of fans who are young audiences, especially women. For many years, this genre of music aimed at the public group has been considered to be more about entertainment than artistic value, making it difficult for many groups, despite their outstanding success, to make an impression at the Grammys.
For BTS, the challenge also comes from the operating model of K-pop. Although members are increasingly deeply involved in composing and producing music, the image of "idol groups" still makes them often placed in prejudices that have existed for many years in the Western music industry.
However, BTS's journey at the Grammys is still of special significance. They are the first K-pop representatives to be nominated many times in competing categories, having performed on the main stage of the awards ceremony.
Recently, the American Academy of Recording announced the addition of some new categories from the 2027 Grammy Awards, including "Best Asian Pop Performance". This is considered a notable change in the award structure, aimed at more clearly recognizing the development of Asian music in the global market.
With the position of one of the most influential K-pop artists today, BTS was quickly mentioned as a potential candidate in this category. International achievements and global coverage help the group always receive special attention whenever there are adjustments related to the Grammys.
However, according to the announced regulations, participating works must use Asian languages with sufficiently clear proportions in the recording. This means that songs entirely in English may not meet the award consideration conditions, while Korean or multilingual products will be more suitable for the new criteria.
However, the appearance of a separate category for Asian pop music is still considered an important step forward for the Grammys in the context of an increasingly diverse music market. For BTS, this is a potential opportunity, but still comes with specific requirements for product orientation if they want to compete in this category.
Although the Grammy trophy is still an unfinished goal, BTS has created an impression that not many Asian artists have achieved. They have made K-pop a part of the global mainstream music flow. When this journey just started, BTS's Grammy dream was still hot.
