The Grammy Awards have signaled the possibility of adjusting the 'Best Asian Pop Music Performance' category, roughly two weeks after BTS declared a boycott. Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Grammy Awards, recently issued a statement to Billboard, saying he acknowledges that some artists feel the Asian pop category does not properly reflect their music.

▶ Recording Academy Reviews Overhaul of Award Categories

CEO Mason emphasized that the Recording Academy has responded promptly to the demands of the music industry, and stated that he will work to create an environment where musicians are respected. He said the Academy is also reviewing an overhaul of the process for developing new award categories. He added that with the number of Grammy award categories now exceeding 100, the time has come to consider the direction of future development. Based on this stance, Billboard predicted that the Recording Academy may restructure the Asian pop category starting with next year's ceremony.

▶ Strengthened Communication with Asian Music Industry, Including HYBE and K-pop

The Recording Academy is currently strengthening communication with music industry figures in the Asian region. It has held conversations with key figures from K-pop, J-pop, C-pop, and the Indian music scene, including HYBE, and has also convened its board and nominating committee. Separate advisory work on the Asian pop category is underway, and the Academy stated that its goal is to respect and accurately honor the music in question from the very first award.

▶ It Began with June's Announcement of New Category… BTS Declines to Submit Entries

In June, the Grammy Awards announced the establishment of a 'Best Asian Pop Music Performance' category for music from Asian countries such as Korea, China, and Japan. However, at a time when K-pop is drawing global attention, criticism arose over creating only a separate category rather than allowing the music to compete in the main award categories. Ultimately, on the 29th of last month, BTS took issue with the creation of the Asian pop category and announced it would not submit entries for this year's Grammys. BTS said, "We hope that music can be heard and loved as music itself, rather than being divided by region or language."