Grammys Chief 'Saddened' by BTS' Awards Diss

BTS' Grammys snub has prompted a public response from the awards' top boss. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said he was "saddened" by the group's decision not to submit work for the 2027 awards, though he added that he respects it as a fellow creator, reports Variety. Amid backlash over the new best Asian pop category, Mason insisted the move wasn't meant to sideline K-pop. The category, he said, is intended to highlight a growing wave of Asian pop acts and doesn't block those artists from also competing for top all-genre prizes like album or record of the year.

"The spirit of this new category is to shine a dedicated spotlight on these important artists," Mason noted. "More categories mean more artists' work is recognized. It's never to divide, but to expand who is recognized by our 15,000 Grammy voters." BTS—who've earned five Grammy nods but never won, per the AP—said they want their music heard "for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language." ABC News notes that BTS had been the only K-pop group to earn a Grammy nomination until this year, when multiple artists got the nod.