'Somewhat racist': Does the Grammys need an 'Asian' category?

K-pop powerhouse BTS has sent shock waves through the music world by boycotting the upcoming Grammy Awards, pointing to the organisation's decision last month to introduce an Asian music category.The wildly popular boy band returned to the music scene this year with their album Arirang, after a hiatus for band members to fulfil mandatory military service in South Korea."We hope our music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language," the seven BTS members — RM, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V, Jung Kook and Jin — said on Instagram.The move has prompted questions from fans and experts about the need for a separate category, given the widespread appeal of K-pop in particular.Jennie and Rose from the K-pop girl group BLACKPINK have huge fanbases. (Reuters: Kim Soo-hyeon)Jay Song, an honorary associate professor at the Australian National University Korea Institute, said BTS did "an honourable thing for Asian artists"."[The] Grammys' decision to create an 'Asian' category was pathetic and defeatist, and somewhat racist," she said."It's like: you Asians compete against one another under us. We'll do our own parties and celebrations."Academic Jay Song says the Grammys Asian category is "pathetic".Fan Vanessa Madden, an admin for the fandom BTS Army in Australia, said she was "very proud" of the group for their stance."BTS has been very clear that they want their music to be judged on artistic merit and not where you come from or what language the song or the album is in," she said."Music transcends language. That's the whole point."It's raised a question about drawing unnecessary lines when music in languages other than English often enjoy cut-through and popularity.For example, this year Bad Bunny won Album of the Year for his Spanish-language DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, and Golden became the first K-pop song to win a Grammy, taking home the Best Song Written for Visual Media, and also winning an Oscar for Best Original Song.Golden from K-pop Demon Hunters won a Grammy this year. (Supplied: Netflix)BTS was the first K-pop group to be nominated in 2020 for their song Dynamite, but has never won a Grammy.Adelaide University's Dr Megan Moon, whose research focuses on the growing use of English in K-pop, said it was a "powerful statement" from the group, who were widely seen as a shoo-in for the category."I immediately was a bit taken aback, both as a fan and as an academic … this could really have been their moment to get the Grammy," she said.Spotlight on K-pop, C-pop and J-popThe Recording Academy announced a new category for "Best Asian Pop Musical Performance" in June."This category recognises artistic excellence in Asian pop music performances originating from or widely recognised within Asian markets, including but not limited to K-pop, J-pop and C-pop, with meaningful use of one or more Asian languages," the Grammy website said, referring to Japanese and Chinese pop music.BTS performed at the FIFA World Cup 2026 final between Spain and Argentina. (Reuters: Vincent Carchietta)It also introduced new categories for Best Latin song, Best Traditional Folk Album, Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance and best R&B Collaboration or Duo/Group Performance.In a statement, Grammys CEO Harvey Mason Jr said the decision from BTS was disappointing."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 said."The Asian Pop category was created to celebrate the depth, diversity and extraordinary growth of pop artistry coming out of Asia."The spirit of this new category is to shine a dedicated spotlight on these important artists. More categories mean more artists' work is recognised. It's never to divide, but to expand who is recognised by our 15,000 Grammy voters."He said artists could pursue both the Asian Pop category as well as the general fields of record of the year, album of the year, and song of the year.Stepping stone or ceiling?K-pop fan Ms Madden said she could see a valid argument on both sides."[On the] one hand, it is creating a new category that can absolutely increase visibility for artists who might not have been seen or otherwise overlooked," she said."But on the other hand, some artists worry that the separation of categories can unintentionally become a ceiling for them, rather than a stepping stone."And if the industry begins to think, like, we've recognised Asian artists over here, it can make it harder for them to be considered equally in a major pop or general category."K-pop fan Vanessa Madden says she was proud of the boy band's stance. (Supplied)Dr Moon said there was also the question of whether BTS would even be eligible for the new category, which vaguely describes "meaningful use" of Asian languages.Dr Moon pointed out that 80 per cent of the song lyrics on their new album are in English, and their single Swim is entirely in English — although she added that didn't take away from the "distinctly Korean" aspects of it.She said the creation of a new category could be seen in a positive light, to celebrate Asian music that hadn't enjoyed the juggernaut success of groups like BTS or Blackpink."When we see someone like BTS hit the number one on the billboard Hot 100, why are they then getting siphoned off into their own category? It does seem a bit exclusionary," she said.She added British, American and Australian music wasn't put into an "Anglo" music category."The pigeonholing of Asian music just because it's in another language ... it's disappointing," she said."If it was really about diversity and inclusion, it does make you wonder why it hasn't been happening sooner."Dr Megan Moon is a researcher on the growing use of English in K-pop. (Supplied)Both Ms Madden and Dr Moon said the controversy was part of a much bigger conversation about race in the music industry, citing examples of how African American and Latino artists are categorised.For example, when Tyler, the Creator's genre-bending album Igor won Best Rap Album, he described it as a "backhanded compliment"."It's not just a K-pop conversation," Ms Madden said."It's a story of one of the world's biggest artists of this time asking whether music should still be separated by geography and language, in an era where listeners are no longer experiencing it like that."It's about time that we stop trying to put people in boxes and start listening to the music as it's meant to be listened to."