BTS’ Grammy boycott spreads to K-pop’s biggest agencies

The decision of BTS to boycott the Grammys amid the newly introduced Asian pop category appears to have grown into an industrywide stand, with artists from Korea’s four biggest entertainment companies reportedly opting not to submit music for consideration.

According to Grammy analysis site The Grammy Guru on Thursday, no artists represented by HYBE, YG Entertainment, JYP Entertainment or SM Entertainment submitted songs for the Best Asian Pop Music Performance category at the 69th Grammy Awards, scheduled for next year.

The Recording Academy recently introduced the category to encompass Asian pop genres including K-pop, J-pop and C-pop. The move, however, has sparked debate over whether grouping Asian artists into a region-specific category could effectively separate them from broader Grammy competition rather than expand their recognition.

BTS previously said it would not submit music for Grammy consideration in a move widely seen as a protest to the award show’s new Asian pop category.

“We hope music can be heard and loved for the music itself, rather than being divided by region or language,” the group said in explaining its decision.

The stance appears to have extended throughout the K-pop industry.

BTS’ agency, BigHit Music, is a label under HYBE, and artists from other HYBE labels, including Belift Lab, ADOR and Source Music, also did not submit songs for the category.

Artists represented by YG Entertainment, JYP Entertainment and SM Entertainment similarly stayed out of the category, leaving some of K-pop’s most globally prominent acts — including BLACKPINK, TWICE, Stray Kids and Hearts2Hearts — absent from the submission list.

The collective absence is particularly striking given the Grammys’ complicated history with K-pop. Despite the genre’s enormous global commercial reach and cultural influence, the awards have frequently faced criticism from K-pop fans and observers over what they see as limited recognition of Korean acts in major categories.

BTS, one of the most commercially successful Korean acts worldwide, has received multiple Grammy nominations but has yet to win an award.

The introduction of a dedicated Asian pop category has now reignited that debate. While a separate category could give Asian pop greater visibility at the Grammys, critics have questioned whether defining music by geography and language could instead create a separate lane for artists who are already competing in the global mainstream.

The 69th Grammy Awards will take place Feb. 7, 2027 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

This article from Xportsnews was adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.