Grammy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. responds to BTS after the K-pop superstars declined to submit their music for the 2027 Grammy Awards following the introduction of the Asian Pop category. Reacting to the decision, Mason expressed disappointment while making it clear that he respects the group’s choice as fellow musicians navigate their careers differently.

“I am saddened to hear that BTS has chosen not to participate in the Grammy Awards process this year, but as a music creator, I understand and respect their decision,” Mason said. He then addressed criticism surrounding the newly created category, saying many people have misunderstood its purpose since the Recording Academy announced the change.

“I do want to clarify something that seems to be getting lost in the conversation. The Asian Pop category was created to celebrate the depth, diversity and extraordinary growth of pop artistry coming out of Asia,” he explained.Mason added that the Academy introduced the category to increase recognition rather than separate artists into different levels of competition.

“The spirit of this new category is to shine a dedicated spotlight on these important artists. 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,” he said.

Grammy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. responds to BTS by also dismissing suggestions that artists entering the Asian Pop category lose the opportunity to compete for the Grammy Awards’ biggest honors. “I also want to be very clear: submitting music in a genre category such as Asian Pop, or Jazz or Country does not exclude an artist from also submitting and being considered in the General Field categories, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year,” Mason stated.

He emphasized that those prestigious awards remain available to every eligible artist regardless of musical style or genre.”Those categories remain open to any eligible recording, regardless of genre. Recognition in a genre category and recognition in the General Field are not mutually exclusive. An artist can absolutely pursue both,” Mason concluded.

His remarks aim to reassure artists worldwide that the Recording Academy introduced the Asian Pop category to expand opportunities while recognizing the growing global influence of Asian music.