The Recording Academy, which runs the Grammy Awards, is considering changing or even ending its new Asian Pop Music category. This follows the K-pop group BTS announcing they will not participate in next year’s Grammys.
The Asian Pop category was created by the Academy last June. It was one of five new categories of awards. The category is designed to celebrate pop music from Asia, including K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop. But the idea was not liked by a lot of people on the internet. Critics said it ostracized Asian artists from their global competitors rather than allowing them to compete on equal footing.
The criticism only got louder when BTS revealed they would not be submitting their best-selling comeback album, “Arirang,” for next year’s Grammy Awards. The group explained their decision via matching posts on their Instagram accounts. They told us they want their music to be loved for what it is, not judged by the region or language.
Grammys CEO Harvey Mason Jr. reacted to BTS’s decision. “I was disappointed,” he said. He said the new category was created to honor the growth and diversity of pop music from Asia. The goal, he said, was to give these artists a special recognition.
Sources who spoke to entertainment news outlets say Academy leaders have been speaking with industry leaders and artists connected to the Asian Pop category. The Academy’s Board and its Awards & Nominations Committee are now meeting to figure out what to do next.
A decision is imminent. That’s because the deadline for next year’s Grammy submissions is Aug. 21. Voting starts October 12.
Mason released another statement regarding the ongoing discussions. We want to serve all kinds of music and all kinds of musicians, he said. They are working to ensure that no artist or community feels ignored or misunderstood, he said.
“After talking to many people over the past two weeks, it became clear that some artists feel the new category does not represent their work the way they want it to,” he said. He said that was true considering that the Academy had good intentions and wanted to be more inclusive.
Mason said the Academy has moved quickly on similar matters in the past, especially since the pandemic. Other Academy leaders, he said, are committed to working together and moving fast, so that musicians feel truly respected and heard.
