Grammy Official Speaks Out After BTS Declines Awards Submission, Says Category Was 'Not for BTS'

BTS' decision not to submit its music for consideration at this year's Grammy Awards has sparked another wave of debate, with a member of the advisory committee behind the Recording Academy's new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category responding publicly to the controversy. The group's announcement that it would not enter the 69th Grammy Awards followed criticism of the newly introduced Asian Pop category, which many fans argued could separate Asian artists from competing in the Grammys' major general-field awards. Now, Zeena Koda, a member of the advisory committee for The Recording Academy's Gold Music Alliance, has shared a series of Instagram Stories explaining the intent behind the category and expressing disappointment over the backlash. "This Wasn't a Category for BTS" In her statement, Koda said that many people misunderstood the purpose of the new award, stressing that it was created to increase visibility for emerging Asian artists rather than global superstars. On her Instagram Story, she wrote, "People don't understand the complications of trying to change + evolve Grammy categories, and what the aim was in general of trying to introduce Asians as a formidable force within the Grammys." "It's really sad and disheartening to see how this entire thing has been addressed when so many people behind the scenes have been pushing to bring visibility for Asians in the Grammys (none of which has existed before), and landing on some form of representation was a real mission for a lot of us. This is a new category and nothing is perfect in its first iteration – in many ways this wasn't a category for BTS at all. This was for artists that need more visibility and shine – NOT decades deep pop superstars." "BTS have always had the ability to apply to another pop category and what a lot of people are missing is the fact that it's not the public that makes these decisions, it is a vetted group of music professionals artists in a membership community that genuinely, deeply cares about representation." "The irony of this entire thing was all of this was done to bring us closer together and to feel proud of the accomplishments the Asian pop artists have made to culture and continue paving the way for future generations of artists," she added. Says Committee Was "Torn Down" by BTS' Decision Koda went on to say that the committee members who worked to establish the category felt their efforts had been undermined by the group's decision and the public reaction that followed. "Instead, it's become a press campaign driven by a narrative that 100% was not the aim of creating this category. Why do I have a leg to stand on? Because I was one of the people pushing to gain a category on the committee. The intent was always to help honor at the highest level of the academy, and that was clearly missed in the shuffle of this very baited argument. I'm also aware that pop is not the only category that Asian artists exist in, but this was always meant to be a first step in a broader direction to give us more voice and power." Koda further added, "Instead, we've been torn down by one of the biggest Asian artists, and it makes me really sad that there could have been a more meaningful conversation on the backend to understand what the actual aim of this was and have a dialogue, rather than taking a bold move like this to get more press." Calls for Greater Unity She concluded by reflecting on the challenges of advocating for systemic change within the music industry and questioned whether the Asian creative community could move forward together after the controversy. "When people talk about community and moving their community forward, I'm one of the people who has literally sacrificed my life to do that for others. In the Asian creative community, IRL and not just on the internet. Situations like this really make me question if we can ever really, truly be united as one front. A sad day for many of us who put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into it, really trying to move things forward, felt like we were making incremental steps, and then torn down by a bunch of people on the Internet who don't understand how the voting faction and nomination process actually works. Nothing there has changed, and this category was not meant to be a final solve, but a step forward in the right direction. It's easy to talk about what changes need to be made on the internet. But it takes real guts and dedication to be on the front lines and try to make systemic change on the front lines. Thank you to everybody, who has always remained true and trying to make real change both through the inside and outside ACTIONS and gotten off the Internet and fucking kept it real." Debate Over New Grammy Category Continues Koda's comments have generated mixed reactions online, with many users questioning the reasoning behind the creation of the new category and the type of artists it was intended to recognize. The discussion adds to the ongoing debate surrounding BTS' decision to skip this year's Grammy submissions, with fans, industry professionals, and music observers continuing to weigh in on how international artists should be represented at one of the music industry's biggest award shows.