BTS’ decision to withdraw from the Grammy Awards nominations for the new Asian Pop category has received a response from CEO Harvey Mason Jr. The 58-year-old expressed his disappointment and said he felt saddened by the group’s decision not to participate in the 69th Grammy Awards.
BTS’ decision to boycott the Grammys drew a public response from the Recording Academy’s CEO
Formed in 2013, the seven-member band announced its decision on July 29. Through their individual Instagram Stories, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook revealed that they would not submit themselves for consideration in any Grammy categories during the current eligibility period.
They uploaded an identical statement, writing, “We’ve decided not to submit our work for this year’s Grammy Awards. We hope music will be recognized and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language. Thank you, as always, to ARMY and everyone who supports us.”
Recording Academy CEO Mason Jr. reacted to the news and addressed the decision in a statement. He wrote, “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.”
He justified the category by saying, “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.”
Mason Jr. explained that the Recording Academy created the new category to provide a dedicated spotlight for important artists from Asia. He said adding more categories would help recognize the work of more artists. He emphasized that the move aimed to expand recognition among the Recording Academy’s 15,000 voters rather than divide artists.
However, the band’s fans applauded the move. One of them wrote, “Legendary move by BTS! Yet another reason to love the seven most talented men on the planet.” Another commented, “BTS is respect. It’s again paving a way for all the Artists, not only K-pop but all over the world. Kudos to them. More respect. I stand against racism and xenophobia.”
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Originally reported by Meenakshi Sengupta on Reality Tea
