As fans know, ever since BTS received their first GRAMMY nomination for the smash нιт "Dynamite" at the 2021 ceremony, the group has consistently submitted music—both as a full group and through solo releases by its members—for GRAMMY consideration throughout the 2022 to 2025 award seasons. However, despite their sustained global recognition, BTS has never advanced beyond the nomination stage. Year after year, the GRAMMYs have sparked growing questions about the fairness and diversity of the awards, with some even accusing the Recording Academy of racial bias.
The controversy reached its peak this year when BTS made their long-awaited comeback with their fifth studio album, ARIRANG. The album quickly shattered numerous records, was named "Album of the Year 2026" by Rolling Stone, NME, and Complex, and was widely regarded by industry experts as BTS' strongest chance yet to finally win their first GRAMMY. However, just before the new awards season, the Recording Academy announced the creation of Best Asian Pop Music Performance, a category many suspect was designed to keep Asian artists away from the prestigious General Field categories.
More recently, ARMY also noticed that in a four-minute video released by the GRAMMYs in May to introduce the new category, two key figures behind its creation—Frankie Yaptinchay and Zeena Koda—did not mention BTS even once. Fans argued that this was more than a simple omission; it effectively erased from the conversation the very artists who had helped drive the global recognition of Asian pop music. To many, it felt like a deliberate historical omission.
What ѕнσ¢кed fans even more, however, was the growing belief that behind the GRAMMYs' repeated "snubs" and alleged attempts to sideline BTS—particularly by steering them away from the General Field through the creation of Best Asian Pop Music Performance—stood one of кσяєα's Big 3 entertainment companies: SM Entertainment!
Fans pointed out that in 2024, the Recording Academy established the Gold Music Alliance to increase the representation and visibility of Asian αмєяι¢αn, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) artists within the music industry. The organization's founder is none other than Kevin Nishimura, who currently serves as Chief Business Officer of Kakao Entertainment Global and Chief Operating Officer of SM Entertainment and Kakao Entertainment αмєяι¢α.
Not only that, Kevin Nishimura also served as a Chapter Governor of the Recording Academy's Los Angeles Chapter from 2021 to 2025. He has also appeared alongside Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr., DEI executive Ryan Butler, and other key Recording Academy figures at multiple GRAMMY-related events, including GRAMMY Week. These connections have led many fans to believe that Kevin has close ties with the Academy's leadership.
Two years later, the Recording Academy officially unveiled Best Asian Pop Music Performance, prompting many fans to connect the dots. One fan wrote: "All these people being connected to SM and Kakao isn't a coincidence either. This was a K-pop award disguised as Asian Pop."
Another agreed, commenting: "Kpopies were adamant the Asian category were HYBE payola. But somehow everyone involved in the creation of this category somehow has SM links." A third person added: "Well it's over for Grammy now, CEO and his wife worked for SM, Zeena anti BTS. Everything is slowly adding up. Big3 might be involved. They pulling their life saving together just to get recognition."
This is not the first time SM Entertainment has been mentioned in controversies involving BTS. Songwriter Nate Walka previously revealed that while participating in αмєяι¢αn Hustle Life, individuals αѕѕociated with SM's writing camp tried to persuade him to abandon BTS and work with EXO instead. According to Walka, they even dismissed BTS as "an experiment" and "a filler kind of group." After the interview resurfaced, many fans and media outlets interpreted his account as evidence that SM had attempted to undermine BTS from the very beginning of the group's career.
These newly uncovered connections between the Gold Music Alliance, the Recording Academy, and individuals αѕѕociated with SM Entertainment have reignited heated debate online, including the following claims:
- This is like the whole military exemption rule when all of kpop combined to rally it on bts coattails and turned out bts company was the only one that didn't even attend it
- This is a very SM thing to do. They’ve been trying their hardest to succeed in the west & failing cause they don’t have armys on their side
- Now the only way for the Grammys to get out of these allegations is to have non kakao artists winning but that would mean betraying the bribes they got for this category... Let's see what is their choice, being nepo babies or not
- Since they can't control BTS they will try and control the scammy
- Well it's always sm and their hunger for popularity wanting to be better than hybe. Better watch how will they get away with it with their media play
- They're also the first one's accusing them of seeking 'western validation'. Now look at that deep connection and alliances. Who's actually seeking western validation now.
- It just goes to show how this has become a full circle of how the big 3 has always wanted to target bts, wanting western validation, and having a hand in the αмєяι¢αn music industry to get a cheap way for their artists
- Kakao at least play it nice so we can’t notice!! This is unfortunately soo funny and totally embarrαѕѕing
- All of this is making so much more sense now this was all just to give these nugu groups those nominations. They dont have a single sold our tour in the west! Nobody gives a sh1t about them
