‘Are they afraid BTS will win?’: Europe voices support for BTS’ Grammys boycott

Europe is expressing solidarity with the K-pop sensation BTS following its boycott of the Grammy Awards in protest of the Recording Academy's new category for Asian pop music. Media outlets argue that the Grammy's decision displays racial and regional biases when it comes to recognizing artists. France's Le Figaro recently criticized the Grammys' new "best Asian pop music performance" award, calling it "derogatory and racist".

The Recording Academy introduced this category in June, claiming it recognizes "artistic excellence" in Asian pop, including K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop. BTS has chosen not to submit music for the Grammys this year, stating they do not want music to be divided by region or language. The French sociologist Sylvie Octobre commented that the Grammys are treating music made by Europeans as if it is all the same, which is both derogatory and racist.

The UK's The Guardian dismissed the Recording Academy's claim that the new category would provide more opportunities to celebrate different genres of music, noting that Asian and Latin pop markets are mature and have vast revenues and audiences. The move has sparked pushback, with some arguing that the Grammys would suffer if BTS refused to attend the ceremony, as BTS has far more social media followers than the awards themselves.