BTS refuses Grammy submission... Recording Academy "respects the decision" official statement

BTS has decided not to submit entries for this year’s Grammy Awards, and Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, which organizes the Grammy Awards, has issued an official statement. On the 30th, the Grammy side released a statement from CEO Harvey Mason Jr. through their official social media channels. CEO Harvey Mason Jr. expressed his ″regret″ over BTS’s decision not to participate in this year’s Grammy submission process, saying, ″As a music creator myself, I understand and respect their decision.″ He went on to explain, ″The ’Asian Pop’ category was newly established to celebrate the depth, diversity, and remarkable growth of pop music originating from Asia,″ adding, ″The purpose of this new category is to shine a separate spotlight on these important artists.″ He also stated, ″An increase in categories means more artists’ works are recognized,″ emphasizing, ″This is not about dividing or separating anyone but about expanding the scope of recognition by the 15,000 Grammy voters.″ CEO Harvey Mason Jr. stressed, ″Submitting music in genre categories such as Asian Pop, Jazz, or Country does not exclude the artist from consideration in the General Field categories.″ He added, ″Going forward, we will continue to expand our influence, membership, and award categories regardless of region or language,″ and said, ″We will keep listening to the voices of the global music community and strive to honor and celebrate all artists who create music that moves the world.″ On the 29th, BTS announced their refusal to submit to the Grammys via social media, stating, ″We have decided not to submit to the Grammys this year. We hope that music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language.″