Recording Academy May Revamp New Asian Pop Category For 2027 Awards
"There are some artists in this space who feel that this category isn’t representing the music they work so hard to create," Harvey Mason, Jr. said in a statement.
The Recording Academy is considering reworking its new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category for the 2027 Grammy Awards after BTS, the world's biggest K-pop group, announced they would not enter their recordings for this year's Grammys as a protest against the new category. First-round voting for the category will start on October 12, with nominations announced on November 16.
The category was one of five new additions to the Grammy lineup announced on June 16. However, BTS's decision to sit out the Grammys on July 29 sparked discussions among the music community and led to conversations between the Recording Academy and various stakeholders representing K-pop, J-pop, C-pop, India, and other genres. The Academy's CEO, Harvey Mason, Jr., and MusiCares president, Harvey Mason, have been engaged in regular dialogue with members of the Asian pop community, including musicians, labels, and managers, to better understand their concerns and ensure the category respects and accurately represents the music.
Mason emphasized the importance of serving all music people and ensuring no voice or community gets overlooked or misunderstood. He expressed that the Grammy organization is committed to working together to keep up with the evolving needs of the music community. In response to BTS's decision, the Academy's full Board and Awards & Nominations Committee will evaluate the process for developing new categories and awards, considering the milestone of 100 Grammy categories. The aim is to ensure that musicians feel truly seen and heard by the Academy's actions.
Written by urgent.news from Billboard's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
