[theqoo] GRAMMYS FINALLY BACK DOWN AFTER BTS’ DRASTIC MOVE TO WITHDRAW SUBMISSION

Real-Time Situation Summary as of August 15, 2026

Official Apology from the CEO of the Grammys:

On Friday night U.S. local time (today, Korea time), Grammy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. issued an official statement.

He bowed his head, saying, “Contrary to our intentions, it has become clear that some artists (BTS) feel this category does not properly represent their music,” and added, “As a musician myself, I take this matter very seriously.”

Complete Revamp of the “Asian Pop” Category:

According to reports from major media outlets such as Billboard and Variety, with only one week remaining before the submission deadline, the Grammys decided not to proceed with the “Asian Pop” category as originally planned but to completely revise or restructure it.

The Most Unprecedented Development:

While the Grammys have traditionally kept the process of creating or modifying award categories strictly confidential, in the wake of the BTS incident, they announced, “We are even considering changing the system itself so that we seek input from the music industry in advance when creating new categories in the future.”

This is truly the moment when a single group’s declaration of refusal, BTS, brought down the Grammys’ decades-old system of authority.

“Why the Grammys Hastily Waved the White Flag

A Blow One Week Before the Deadline:

There is exactly one week left until the deadline for song submissions for the 69th Grammy Awards, and the first round of voting begins on October 12.

The pressure to hold the awards ceremony without BTS—their biggest box-office draw—has reached a fever pitch.

Fears of a Chain Boycott Across the K-Pop and Asian Music Industries:

Over the past two weeks, Grammy leadership urgently convened major labels and managers from across Asia, including HYBE, as well as those in K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop, for behind-the-scenes discussions.

They issued these urgent summons after BTS’s announcement sparked signs that the entire Asian music industry was labeling the Grammys a “racist awards show” and turning its back on them.

In conclusion, as of today (August 15), in response to BTS’s pointed call to “not confine music to regions or languages,” the Grammys have acknowledged their underhanded tactics and officially backed down, stating, “We were wrong, and we will reform the system.””

original post: here