Following BTS Boycott, Grammy CEO Says "Asian Pop Not Barred from Major Awards"

"It’s About Broadening Recognition of Asian Music," Academy Explains

BTS. Provided by BigHit Music

The Recording Academy, which hosts the Grammy Awards in the United States, issued an explanation just one day after BTS declared their intention to boycott the event. Harvey Mason Jr., the Academy’s Chief Executive Officer, stated that he respects BTS’s decision, but emphasized that the newly created Asian Pop category is not intended to exclude Asian music from competing for major awards.

On July 30, Mason Jr. issued a statement on the Recording Academy’s official social networking service (SNS) account, saying, “I was saddened to hear the news that BTS has decided not to submit for this year’s Grammy Awards. As a creator of music myself, I understand and respect their decision.”

He also addressed the controversy surrounding the announcement last month of the new category, Best Asian Pop Music Performance. Mason Jr. said, “I want to clarify aspects that may have been overlooked during the current discussions. The Asian Pop category was created to spotlight the depth, diversity, and growth of pop music originating from Asia.”

He added, “The addition of new categories means that more artists’ works can be recognized. Our intent is not to segregate music, but to broaden the range of artists evaluated by the 15,000 voting members of the Grammys.”

He stressed that even if artists submit their work for consideration in the Asian Pop category, there are no restrictions on also competing in the General Field categories, which constitute the main Grammy awards. Mason Jr. explained, “Submitting to genre-specific categories such as Asian Pop, Jazz, or Country does not preclude artists from submitting or being considered for major awards such as Record of the Year, Album of the Year, or Song of the Year.”

He continued, “The General Field is open to all qualified recordings, regardless of genre. Recognition in genre categories and major categories is not mutually exclusive. Artists can strive for both.”

On the previous day, BTS announced via their members’ social media accounts, “We have decided not to submit for the Grammy Awards this year.” They added, “We hope that music will be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language.”

This decision came about a month after the Recording Academy’s announcement of the new Asian Pop category. Although BTS did not specifically mention the new category, their statement was interpreted as raising concerns about the practice of dividing music by region and language.

The Asian Pop category covers music that originates from the Asian market or is recognized worldwide as Asian pop. Since the announcement, some have praised the expanded platform for highlighting K-pop and other Asian music, while others have expressed concern that it could effectively separate Asian artists from competing in mainstream pop and major categories.

Mason Jr. remarked, “Regardless of region or language, we continue to expand the impact and scope of our recognition. We remain committed to listening to the voices of the global music community and honoring artists who create music that moves the world.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.