BTS's announcement not to submit an album to compete for the 2027 Grammy award is attracting the attention of the international music scene. This is a rare decision for an artist or group operating at the peak of their career, and also puts BTS on the list of artists who have actively refused to participate in the race at the music award considered the most prestigious in the United States.
Unlike previous absences due to schedule or participation conditions, this time BTS made the decision after the US Academy of Recording announced the new Asian Pop category as "Best Asian Pop Performance". According to the group and management company, separating a separate category for Asian pop music may create additional barriers between Asian artists and the international music market, while music should be evaluated on the same system of criteria, regardless of country or language.
Before BTS, Frank Ocean was one of the first artists to publicly refuse to submit works to the Grammys. In 2016, although the two albums "Endless" and "Blonde" received many compliments from professionals, the male singer decided not to register for the award. Frank Ocean believes that the Grammy system no longer fully reflects the diversity of contemporary music and winning an award is no longer the most important measure of artistic value.
In 2021, The Weeknd created one of the biggest debates in Grammy history when the album "After Hours" and the song "Blinding Lights" did not receive any nominations. After the incident, the male singer announced that he would not continue to submit his products to the US Academy of Recording for consideration. He repeatedly criticized the non-transparent nomination process and said that the award needs to have strong changes to regain the trust of artists as well as audiences.
Another case is Drake. At the end of 2021, despite being named in the nomination list, the Canadian rapper unexpectedly requested to withdraw his two nominations from the Grammys. In the following years, Drake's solo products were also not submitted for consideration. The male rapper repeatedly expressed the view that the success of an artist should not be judged through awards.
The common point between Frank Ocean, The Weeknd and Drake is that they all expressed dissatisfaction with the operation or nomination process of the Grammys. Meanwhile, BTS's decision stemmed from the viewpoint on how to divide award categories. BTS believes that adding a category specifically for Asian pop music does not really promote equality, but may cause artists in the region to continue to be separated from common competing categories.
Over the years, the Academy has repeatedly adjusted its regulations to respond to opinions from artists and the public. This organization has removed secret nomination committees, amended voting criteria and added many new categories to reflect the changes in the music market. However, debates about the transparency, diversity and representativeness of the Grammys have not ended.
For BTS, the Grammy is always a special milestone. The group has been nominated and performed at awards ceremonies many times, contributing to expanding the influence of K-pop on the international music stage. Therefore, the decision not to submit an album to compete for the 2027 award is considered a noteworthy move, not only for BTS fans but also for the global music industry.
Despite coming from different reasons, Frank Ocean, The Weeknd, Drake and most recently BTS all show a reality that even influential artists are willing to give up the opportunity to compete at the Grammys to defend their views. This continues to spark discussions about the role and influence of music awards in the context of the rapidly changing entertainment industry.
