On June 16 (local time), the Grammy Awards announced through their official website that five new categories will be added for the 69th Annual Grammy Awards. The newly introduced categories are Best Asian Pop Music Performance, Best Latin Song, Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance, Best R&B Collaboration or Duo/Group Performance, and Best Traditional Folk Album.
Among them, the introduction of the Best Asian Pop Music Performance category has attracted the most attention. The award will encompass the broader Asian music market, including K-pop, J-pop (Japanese pop music), and C-pop (Chinese pop music). Eligible artists must significantly use one or more Asian languages in their music and either originate from Asia or be recognized within the Asian pop music industry.
Grammys CEO Harvey Mason Jr. described Asian pop music as “one of the most important and enduring forces in the global music industry.” He added, “Asian pop uniquely combines music, performance, and artistic expression into its own musical identity. We are thrilled to spotlight its influence at next year’s ceremony.”
For years, the Grammy Awards have been viewed as one of the most difficult achievements for K-pop artists to attain. BTS received nominations for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for three consecutive years from 2021 to 2023 but ultimately failed to secure a win. BLACKPINK’s Rosé also competed for Grammy recognition but was unable to take home a trophy.
While BTS successfully won awards at two of the three major American music ceremonies the American Music Awards (AMAs) and Billboard Music Awards (BBMAs) the Grammy Awards remained elusive. The same was true for BLACKPINK’s Rosé, despite the global success of “APT.”
Earlier this year, “GOLDEN,” an original soundtrack song from Netflix’s animated film KPop Demon Hunters, became the first K-pop-related track to win a Grammy Award in the Best Song Written for Visual Media category. However, many industry observers felt that the achievement was not enough to fully satisfy K-pop artists’ long-standing desire for recognition in mainstream Grammy categories.
With the launch of a dedicated Asian Pop category, industry experts believe the likelihood of K-pop artists including BTS and other globally successful acts winning Grammy honors will increase significantly.
Alongside the new categories, the Recording Academy also announced several rule changes. For the Best New Artist category, the maximum number of times an artist can be nominated has been increased from three to four. In album categories, the required percentage of newly recorded material has been lowered from 75% to 66%.
The Grammy Awards, organized annually by the Recording Academy since 1959, remain the most prestigious honors in the music industry. The 69th Grammy Awards, which will be the first ceremony to implement these new rules and categories, is scheduled to take place on February 7, 2027.
Sources: Insight
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