With two singles and an album eligible and a new category — Best Asian Pop Music Performance — seemingly made specifically for the band, BTS may soon win a Grammy. LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 10: South Korean boy band BTS attends the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on February 10, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage)
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K-pop became a major commercial force in the United States years ago, and its popularity continues to grow all the time. Grammy recognition has moved much more slowly, as most of the genre’s biggest singers and groups have yet to be acknowledged by the Recording Academy.
Only a select few K-pop stars have earned nominations, including BTS and Blackpink singer Rosé, while the women behind Huntr/x from KPop Demon Hunters also competed at the 2026 ceremony. “Apt.” and “Golden” became the first songs by K-pop artists to be nominated for Song of the Year, with the former also making history in the hugely competitive Record of the Year field.
“Golden” became the first K-pop recording to win a Grammy only a few months back when its writers claimed Best Song Written for Visual Media honor. The prize went to the songwriters rather than the performers who comprise Huntr/x, meaning a K-pop musical act has still never won a Grammy as the named performer.
That could change at the 2027 ceremony. The Recording Academy is introducing Best Asian Pop Music Performance, a category that recognizes K-pop, J-pop, C-pop and other pop recordings that meaningfully incorporate at least one Asian language. BTS will surely be considered one of the early favorites, but which song the septet submits could determine whether the outfit finally wins.
BTS Has Scored Earned Five Grammy Nominations
BTS has received five Grammy nominations without winning any trophies. “Dynamite,” “Butter” and “My Universe,” the group’s collaboration with Coldplay, all competed for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. “Yet to Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)” was nominated for Best Music Video. BTS was even included in Coldplay’s Album of the Year nomination for Music of the Spheres, which features “My Universe.”
That last appearance technically brought BTS into the Grammys’ largest race, but none of the septet’s own albums has been nominated. Its 2026 project Arirang may change that, though Album of the Year is sure to be especially competitive this time around.
Arirang arrived this spring as BTS’s long-awaited comeback album. The collection gave the group another No. 1 in America, and it features several recordings that could be distributed throughout different Grammy fields.
An Album of the Year nomination may be out of reach, considering how many blockbusters and critically-acclaimed projects are eligible. A Best Pop Vocal Album nod isn’t impossible, but this may not be the year for BTS to see one of its full-lengths in the running. Instead, the boy band may focus on songs.
BTS Could Submit “Swim” in Pop or Dance Categories
“Swim,” the lead single from Arirang, will almost certainly anchor BTS’s Grammy campaign. The track debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving the group yet another immediate American champion. It also launched atop both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. rankings, standing out as a worldwide smash.
The tune could return BTS to the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category, which already accounts for three of the septet’s five career nominations. “Swim” might alternatively be submitted for Best Dance Pop Recording or Best Dance/Electronic Recording, depending on how BTS’s team and the Recording Academy classify it. BTS has never competed in either of those dance-focused categories.
“Normal” May Be BTS’s Best Asian Pop Performance Option
Earlier this month, BTS gave “Normal” the full single treatment, releasing a music video and a separate Korean-language recording. The promoted track has not reached the same commercial heights as “Swim,” but it gives the group another valuable option for its Grammy campaign.
The Korean version of “Normal” may be the more natural choice for Best Asian Pop Music Performance. The new category requires meaningful use of one or more Asian languages, and awards are presented directly to the performing artists.
BTS could emphasize “Swim” in either pop or dance fields while pushing “Normal” in the Asian pop race. Separating the songs would allow the septet to pursue multiple genre prizes rather than forcing one recording to carry the band’s entire campaign.
BTS Could Return to the Best Music Video Field
BTS may also compete for Best Music Video again, though that’s a tough vertical, as it is not limited to one style. The K-pop boy band routinely produces elaborate, heavily choreographed and cinematic visuals, but so far, only “Yet to Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)” has brought BTS to the category, back in 2023. Now, either “Swim” or “Normal” could now bring the musicians back to the race.
BTS Could Make 2027 Its Biggest Grammy Year Yet
With Arirang, “Swim,” “Normal” and at least one visual eligible, the 2027 ceremony could become the group’s biggest yet. Album of the Year, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Dance Pop Recording, Best Dance/Electronic Recording, Best Asian Pop Music Performance and Best Music Video are all possibilities, but the troupe only needs to rack up a handful of those nods to beat its previously-set one-year best.
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