Grammy CEO breaks silence on BTS's absence, says new Asian Pop category is designed to 'expand' recognition

The statement comes after BTS announced on Wednesday that the group would not submit its music for Grammy consideration this year.

The seven-member group: RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook said, "We have decided not to submit for Grammy consideration this year. We hope our music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language. We thank Army and everyone who has always stood by us," as quoted by Deadline.

Responding to the announcement, Mason said he respected the group's decision while expressing disappointment over their absence from the awards process.

"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 wrote in an official social media post.

Addressing online discussion surrounding the Recording Academy's newly introduced Asian Pop category, Mason said the award was created to recognise the growing influence and diversity of pop music from Asia rather than separate artists based on geography or language.

"I do want to clarify something that seems to be getting lost in the conversation. 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 recognized. It's never to divide, but to expand who is recognized by our 15,000 Grammy voters," he wrote.

Mason also clarified that artists entering genre-specific categories are still fully eligible for the Grammy Awards' General Field categories.

"I also want to be very clear: submitting music in a genre category such as Asian Pop, or Jazz or Country does not exclude an artist from also submitting and being considered in the General Field categories, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year," he wrote.

He further added, "Those categories remain open to any eligible recording, regardless of genre. Recognition in a genre category and recognition in the General Field are not mutually exclusive. An artist can absolutely pursue both."

Reiterating the Recording Academy's broader vision, Mason wrote that the organisation would continue expanding its reach while listening to the global music community.

"The Grammy organization is here to serve music and all the people who make it. As we continue to expand the reach, our membership and our awards, regardless of geography or language, I want to emphasize that we will continue to listen to the global music community and work to honor and celebrate all the artists whose music moves the world," he wrote.

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The Recording Academy announced several new Grammy categories last month, including Best Asian Pop Music Performance.

The category is intended to recognise artistic excellence in "performances originating from or widely recognized within Asian markets, including but not limited to K-pop, J-pop and C-pop, with meaningful use of one or more Asian languages."

BTS recently returned with their 10th studio album, Arirang, released in March. The album marked the group's first full-length release in six years following a pause during which the members completed South Korea's mandatory 18-month military service. (ANI)