Grammys may rethink new Best Asian Pop Music category after BTS pushback

The Recording Academy said it will reconsider its new Best Asian Pop category after pushback, including a decision by BTS not to enter. The group declined to submit music, saying they did not want their work sorted by region or language, and the Academy has now signaled it is listening.

The complaint is about how the award draws its lines. Grouping music by where it comes from, rather than by genre or craft, treats Asian pop as one bucket, and some artists read that as a category built around geography instead of the music itself. BTS turning down the chance to compete gave that objection a very loud example, since an award meant partly to recognize acts like them lost one of its most obvious entrants on principle.

The Academy's response was to say it would take the criticism into account, short of scrapping or redrawing anything yet. That leaves the category in place for now, with its future depending on what the Academy actually does once it finishes weighing the objections.

For a body that adds and cuts categories fairly often, this is a familiar spot. A new award meant to widen the field runs into the artists it was supposed to include, telling it that the framing is the problem.

BTS are currently touring behind their album Arirang. Member V said during the run that he has lost hearing in his right ear, while bandmate Jungkook has been managing a shin injury.