The Recording Academy says it will take criticism of its new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category into deeper consideration ahead of the 2027 Grammy Awards, according to Rolling Stone.
In a statement on Friday, Aug. 14, CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said the Grammys are meant to serve all music people and that the organization does not want any community to be overlooked or misunderstood. He said conversations with stakeholders over the past two weeks made clear that some artists feel the category does not represent the music they create in the way they want.
Mason said he takes those concerns seriously as a musician himself and added that the Academy’s leadership is committed to working together to keep pace with the needs of the music community. He also said the organization wants the musicians it honors to feel truly “seen and heard” by its actions.
The new category was announced in June along with four other genre-specific additions. Its description says it recognizes Asian pop performances from Asian markets, including K-pop, J-pop and C-pop, with meaningful use of one or more Asian languages. Online entry for the 2027 Grammy Awards closes Aug. 21, with first-round voting set for Oct. 12 and nominations to be announced Nov. 16.
