The Recording Academy has confirmed that the new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category will go ahead at the 2027 Grammy Awards, ending weeks of uncertainty surrounding the controversial new award.
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. confirmed the decision on October 1 after the organization held listening sessions and consultations with artists, executives and other leaders from across the Asian music community. The Academy said it received a “robust” number of submissions for the category ahead of the 69th Grammy Awards.
“We understand this conclusion will not satisfy everyone,” Mason said, while explaining that the Academy had heard both criticism of the category and strong support from music creators who wanted it to remain.
The Best Asian Pop Music Performance category was introduced in June as one of five new categories for the 2027 Grammys. It recognizes artistic excellence in contemporary Asian pop music, including K-pop, J-pop and C-pop, with recordings required to feature meaningful use of at least one Asian language.
According to the Academy’s rules, songs performed entirely in English are not eligible for the category, while artists can still compete in other appropriate Grammy categories. Eligibility is determined by the musical style of the recording rather than the ethnicity or nationality of the artist.
The category became a major talking point after BTS announced in July that they would not submit music for consideration at the 2027 Grammys. The group said it wanted music to be recognized without being divided by region or language.
The Recording Academy had previously indicated that it was listening to concerns surrounding the new award, raising the possibility that changes could be made. Following its consultations, however, the organization decided to keep the category in place for its debut year.
Mason has maintained that the category was created to give greater visibility to the breadth and growth of Asian pop rather than prevent artists from competing in the Grammys’ major general categories. Artists eligible for Asian Pop can still be considered for awards such as Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year.
The 69th Grammy Awards will take place on February 7, 2027, with the ceremony set to air live across ABC, Disney+ and Hulu. The Best Asian Pop Music Performance category will therefore become one of the newest competitive awards on the Grammy stage.
