BTS members instagram story
"We have decided not to submit for this year's Grammys.
Rather than music being categorized by region or language, we hope music itself can be heard and loved for what it is.
We sincerely thank ARMY and everyone who is always with us"
bts choosing not to submit their music to the grammys in the one year they were almost certainly in a position to earn nominations is such a powerful statement.
the recording academy created a category to separate asian artists instead of recognizing them alongside their peers, reflecting a long-standing lack of respect and equal recognition for artists across an entire continent and the world.
bts lives and breathes music.
this decision isn’t just about them: it’s about standing up for fairness, dignity, and the artists who come after them. they’re taking a meaningful step not only for themselves, but for asian artists and the global music community as a whole.
I couldn’t be prouder.
Sometimes the bravest decision isn't chasing what you've always wanted, it's choosing yourself instead. If a space repeatedly makes you feel unseen or unwelcome, protecting your peace is never a loss. BTS continues to teach that lesson to me.
🐹 We were fans of artists who speak the different languages from us but we didn’t think differently of them because of that. I was a fan of them & still am & I don’t think a language is a barrier. I’ve always cared more about the emotions in their music
Major award shows which introduced K-pop/Asian related categories, majorly due to the impact of BTS:
• GRAMMYs (2027)
• iHeartRadio Music Awards (2024)
• Billboard Music Awards (2023)
• American Music Awards (2022)
• EMAs (2021)
• VMAs (2019)
do you know how fucking refreshing it is to see an artist stand their fucking ground against a gigantic fucking institution in 2026. I feel vindicated, not only as an ARMY, but as a human. BTS, you will be good. you were always gonna be good, but it only confirms it.
the fact arirang was so much bigger than any of their albums still they decided to not submit it to the grammys bc they cant allow someone to limit their music to a category
this clearly shows how bts see music as an art rather than as something that just sells
and no matter how much people like to pretend it was for representation, grammys introduced their little asian category to keep them away from the main one so they can keep rewarding their american artists freely. I am glad the boys are stepping away from the racist shitshow