Bangtan Boycott
By Jane Nam and Riley Salgado Sep. 23, 2026
On June 16, the Grammy Awards announced a new award category called “Best Asian Pop Music Performance.” The category recognizes excellence in Asian pop performances—including but not limited to K-pop, J-pop and C-pop—and is centered on the specific rule of using the Asian language in a meaningful way to communicate messages with genuine intentions. The Recording Academy faced widespread criticism from fans and industry analysts; media outlets reported growing concerns that cordoning off non-Western acts into a separate regional bracket creates institutional gatekeeping.
On July 29, the globally renowned Korean group BTS announced that they would not submit their music for the 2027 Grammy Awards in protest. The group shared their decision, saying that they “hope music itself can be heard and loved rather than being distinguished by region or language.” Due to their previously expressed desire to win a Grammy, the band brought attention to the category itself, causing debate over whether it will increase true recognition for Asian artists or only further separate them from the broader music industry. Regardless, the group has been met with overwhelming support from fans defending the decision.
“BTS 'decision is more than simply not wanting a Grammy. They are making a statement about how they want Asian artists to be recognized. It is ironic that BTS might have more influence over the Grammys by refusing to participate than they would by attending,” Freshman Madison Madilao said.
Criticism of the new Asian Pop category quickly expanded beyond BTS, with prominent Asian and international creators speaking out over how separating music by geographic origin creates an unfair standard, echoing long-standing frustrations with the Recording Academy’s selection process.
Harvey Mason Jr., the CEO of the Recording Academy, addressed BTS’s boycott, describing their decision as sad but understandable. Mason maintained that the Asian Pop category was originally made to celebrate the depth, diversity and extraordinary growth of pop artistry coming out of Asia and was not created to divide music. He compared the new category to the Grammy’s African music category, which was created to bring recognition to artists who were not receiving enough attention. He also explained that the creation of regional categories was not meant to bar artists from competing in the main awards, as the Grammys use a dual-track system that allows music to be submitted to both specific categories and major awards. However, the Grammys are currently reconsidering the Best Asian Pop Music Performance category due to the amount of criticism it is receiving.
Many music professionals and netizens are saying that attempting to categorize pop music geographically creates an unfair dynamic between regions, since each region has distinct musical styles that fluctuate in popularity.
However, some perceive the creation of new awards and categories by the Grammys as inevitable as genres evolve and new trends emerge in the music industry, as reported by BBC News. Many do not view The Recording Academy’s decision to divide music by region as an act of racial exclusion.
“Regions typically have distinct music styles unique to their area. Introducing dedicated categories may encourage global audiences to discover more styles of music,” Sophomore Scott Moquin said.
As pressure builds from artists and fans alike, many hope this latest boycott will push the Recording Academy toward broader systemic reform, allowing music to be recognized for its artistry regardless of region or language.
About the Contributors
Jane Nam
Staff Writer
Jane Nam is a freshman at Leland High School who is in Journalism as a writer for her elective. When she isn't studying or researching, she usually crafts random stories and animates on her iPad.
Riley Salgado
Staff Writer
Riley Salgado is a freshman writer for Leland High School's newspaper. Outside of school, she plays lacrosse and enjoys hanging out with friends and listening to music.
Lucas Yi
Artist
Lucas Yi is a sophomore at Leland High, and is one of many artists for the Leland Charger Account. Lucas loves to paint an draw, especially with ink pens. In his free time, Lucas is often playing basketball with his friends or binge watching animes/movies, as he has nothing better to do when not hanging out with his pals.
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