Grammy Awards’ ‘Asian Pop’ and ‘African Music’ Categories: Segregation disguised as inclusivity

Following BTS’ statement announcing that they won’t submit their album, ARIRANG, or any of its songs for the 2027 Grammys, people are now asking more questions of the Recording Academy.

On July 29, 2026, the biggest group in the world, BTS, changed the trajectory of music with a statement they shared on their social media platform, Instagram. The statement revealed that the group would not submit the critically acclaimed and most successful album of their career, ARIRANG, for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards, as they believe that music should not be separated by language or region.

For many, this came as a shock, as this was the year the group was tipped to win their first Grammy after receiving multiple nominations over the years. For others, however, a statement as powerful as this could shape how many people view awards and recognition for years to come.

Many might wonder what BTS meant by saying that music should not be separated by language or region. Well, the answer can be traced as far back as June 2026, when the Recording Academy introduced the ‘Asian Pop Performance’ award, something similar to the ‘African Music Performance’ award.

What is the Asian Pop Performance described as?

Well, the Grammys described the award as one celebrating Asian artists and their music. They also categorically stated that the winner would be decided by their ‘meaningful use of Asian language.’

‘Meaningful use of Asian language?’

The juiciest part of the ‘category’ is that if you submit your song as an Asian artist in this category you can’t submit your song in any other performance category, regardless of whether you are eligible or not.

The category was met with intense pushback from music experts who saw the handwriting on the wall; an award designated to box the biggest and the most global artist at the moment,…