South Korean boy group and global superstars BTS announced that they won’t be submitting an entry for the upcoming Grammy Awards scheduled for February next year. All members of the boy group shared this news on their personal social media accounts.
The surprise announcement of BTS came as a shock, as they have been nominated several times in the past.
“We’ve decided not to submit our work for this year’s Grammy Awards. We hope music will be recognized and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language,” they shared in a joint statement.
Their statement comes after the Recording Academy announced it would add new categories, including Best Asian Pop Music Performance.
“This Category recognizes artistic excellence in Asian pop music performances originating from or widely recognized within Asian markets, including but not limited to K-pop, J-pop and C-pop, with meaningful use of one or more Asian languages. Awards are presented to the performing artist(s),” the Recording Academy said.
Despite this, the South Korean superstars expressed their gratitude towards their millions of ARMYs from across the globe for their support.
“Thank you, as always, to ARMY and everyone who supports us,” BTS said.
Meanwhile, fans of BTS expressed their support on various social media platforms. ARMYs shared how they are one with the decision and hope that people will see what the South Korean group is fighting for.
“This is why they are my favorite. They won't let anyone walk all over them nor take advantage, and I fully support their decision,” a fan wrote.
“I love how they're so against the new category because it truly was so weird for the Grammys to separate music based on language instead of artistry and talent,“ another fan added.
An official statement from BTS’s management has yet to be released as of this writing.