The Grammys (Grammy Awards, hereafter Grammys), the most prestigious music awards in the United States, are at the center of controversy over the newly created "Best Asian Pop Music Performance," an attempt to open the door to non-English-language music. The global K-pop idol group BTS said it will not submit any works to next year's Grammys. The Grammys say the Asian pop category is a step to recognize more music, but some criticize it as creating a new boundary that divides music by region and language.
On the 29th (local time), according to Reuters, the AP, and the Guardian, BTS said via social media that it will not submit works to next year's Grammys. BTS said, "We hope music will be heard and loved as music itself, rather than being divided by region or language." This is interpreted as raising an issue not with a particular category itself, but with the method of classifying music by "region of origin" or "language."
The controversy began with Best Asian Pop Music Performance, which the Recording Academy, the U.S. music industry group that organizes the Grammys, created last month. Aimed at K-pop, J-pop, C-pop, and other Asian popular music, this category was prepared to spotlight Asian music, whose global influence has grown. Recording Academy Chief Executive Officer Harvey Mason Jr. said it was "a change to recognize and celebrate more music."
The core question is whether creating a separate category truly equates to expanding diversity. The British daily the Guardian analyzed the crux of the debate as the possibility of "ringfencing." Creating a separate category for Asian popular music may increase chances of winning in the short term, but in the long term it would effectively separate Asian music from the Grammys' major general categories. Under the banner of embracing non-English-language music, there is concern that a perception could take root that "Asian music should not compete in the major categories."
The AP also reported that some fans view the new category as a new "racialized barrier" based on race and region rather than an expansion of diversity. BTS' refusal to submit is seen as aligned with the same concern. Music should be judged on artistry, not nationality or language, but the moment a separate category is created, a dividing line can be drawn from the starting line.
Behind these concerns is K-pop's changed status. K-pop's presence at the Grammys was not large in the past, but the situation has recently shifted. "Golden," the OST for the Netflix animated film KPop Demon Hunters, won a Grammy, and "APT.," a collaboration between Blackpink member Rosé and U.S. pop star Bruno Mars, was nominated in major categories. BTS has also been nominated five times in major categories at the Grammys so far, proving K-pop's competitiveness in the U.S. mainstream music market.
In this context, some criticize the creation of a separate category for Asian popular music as an attempt to distinguish Asian music, including K-pop, from the Grammys' existing major categories.
The Recording Academy says the new category is not an attempt to separate a specific genre. The rules released so far do not say that nominees in the Asian pop category lose eligibility for other major categories. The Academy says the intent is instead to recognize and spotlight a wider range of music from diverse cultures on the Grammy stage.
Mason, the CEO, said in an official statement that day (local time), "We were disappointed to learn that BTS decided not to participate in the Grammy Awards submission process this year, but we understand and respect their decision as music creators," while adding, "The Asian pop category is not meant to separate artists but to expand who is recognized by the Grammys' 15,000 voting members."
Industry watchers say the debate raises a fundamental question about how to expand diversity. Spurred by BTS' refusal to submit, controversy over whether the Grammys' diversity initiatives are truly inclusive or simply another form of separation is expected to continue for the time being.