Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. confirmed as much in a statement today, following uncertainty about the category’s status at the forthcoming 69th Grammy Awards.

And as we previously reported, said uncertainty stemmed from firmly worded criticism of the Best Asian Pop Music Performance category. In the Grammys’ words, the award aims to recognize “artistic excellence in Asian pop music performances originating from or widely recognized within Asian markets, including but not limited to K-pop, J-pop and C-pop, with meaningful use of one or more Asian languages.”

But the way multiple South Korean artists and media outlets see things, the newly minted category is little more than “a form of segregation that sidelines Asian acts from major awards.”

Against this backdrop, BTS over the summer announced a Grammys boycott; rumblings suggested that the category could be retooled or shelved; and not coincidentally, K-pop giants are planning a mega-festival and award show that will set sail in Seoul before visiting cities around the globe.

However, these and other factors haven’t compelled the Academy to reverse course by decommissioning Best Asian Pop Music Performance. As mentioned, Mason Jr. in a statement described leaving the category in place as “the right conclusion for the music community overall.”

Per the remarks, the Academy reached the decision following “listening sessions” and “dialogue with leaders of the Asian music community.” In short, some “don’t support the continuation of this category,” others are “enthusiastic supporters of the category, fellow music creators expressing their encouragement for keeping it,” and the latter group’s arguments evidently prevailed.

“We understand this conclusion will not satisfy everyone, and that never feels good,” Mason Jr. proceeded. “But at the same time, we are confident it’s the right conclusion for the music community overall.

“As is the case with all our categories, we will continue to diligently engage with the music community and keep striving to honor this music — and all music — in the best possible way. We look forward to celebrating the Asian Pop Music Performance nominees at the 2027 Grammy Awards,” he finished.

Like with BTS’ own choice to abstain from submitting, this doesn’t appear to be a company-wide boycott – meaning that the door is seemingly open for a reconciliation down the line.

But for now, at least two of K-pop’s biggest acts will be conspicuously absent from the 2027 installment after putting out commercially prominent releases during the eligibility window.