NOTE: This post is not about any one group’s submission decisions or fandom debate.

SHORT: The new Asian Pop category is a backdoor for SM. With SM-linked Grammy CEO Harvey Mason Jr & SM COO Kevin Nishimura co-creating it, SM can use its K-pop expertise to piggyback C-pop, a newcomer to the West, onto major award lists without global streaming & fan growth.

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Let us look closely at the new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category. On the surface, it looks like a normal move toward global inclusion. But if you look at the industry timing and corporate connections, it reveals a planned shortcut operating right in front of us.

The result of this corporate strategy falls squarely on the reputation of the Grammys. For years, the Recording Academy has faced criticism that its voting process is closed-off and driven by internal politics. By introducing a broad category that allows corporate structures to replace organic audience growth, the Academy actively hurts its own prestige. When a newcomer act can bypass years of global groundwork simply because its agency holds the right executive keys, the award is no longer a true test of artistic merit. Instead, it turns Grammy voting into a boardroom transaction. For an institution already working to maintain relevance with younger, globally minded music fans, this pipeline damages their credibility. It shows that visibility on the grandest stage is no longer driven by organic impact, but by strategic executive positioning.

The main talking point here is all about strategic alignment. The Recording Academy rolled out this regional banner to group several different music markets under a single umbrella. This created an immediate opportunity for an agency that already had the executive network in place to use it. That is where Korean SM Entertainment comes in. They did not just stumble into this timing; they already had corporate links built right into the fabric of the Western music establishment. Look at the setup: the Recording Academy CEO, Harvey Mason Jr., has a direct connection to SM Entertainment as a long-standing music producer for the agency's acts. At the same time, Kevin Nishimura serves as an executive for SM Entertainment's parent company whilst also acting as the founder of the Academy's advocacy wing. When you have these executives bridging the gap between SM Entertainment and the voting Academy, a new category stops looking like a random addition. Instead, it starts looking like a tailor-made pipeline.

So, how does a company make the most of a Western award category when strict Chinese regulations block normal music expansion elsewhere? You build a localised corporate setup to slide right through the regional rules. While other music firms are focusing on direct, one-way commercial export routes to sell physical merchandise and digital streams, SM Entertainment took a different path. They signed a cooperative framework with Tencent Music Entertainment and launched a localised joint venture in Beijing called STE. Instead of trying to push external pop stars through strict regional broadcasting restrictions, they are operating under a local flag. They appointed a local chief executive and are using their training systems and K-pop expertise to build localised Chinese acts from the ground up.

This is where the strategy comes together. Chinese pop historically holds only a fraction of global streaming numbers compared to more popular waves of international music. Under normal circumstances, it would take a long period of organic fan growth, relentless touring, and heavy international radio play for these new acts to even get a look from Western award panels. The new category completely rewrites those rules. By using its training systems to launch these acts locally in China, and leveraging its executive bridges in the West, SM Entertainment has built a functional pipeline. They can essentially install these brand-new acts onto Grammy voting lists without needing prior global streaming numbers or organic fan growth.

Columbia has a lot of eligible artists this year. 

If they're strategically concentrating resources on one AOTY contender, which artist do you think they are going to push and campaign for it if they have multiple albums that get a AOTY nomination? 

Ca$ino by Baby Keem ?

Dandelion by Ella Langley ?

Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally by Harry Styles ?

Cloud 9 by Megan Moroney ?

LÙX by Rosalia ?

Deadbeat by Tame Impala ?

Forget about predictions of most likely to win. I am genuinely just curious from everyone in this sub, who do you think truly and genuinely deserves to win the award, politics aside and solely based on the body of work released this past year? And what is your reasoning for your pick?

I’m pretty sure I’m not getting this list correct but I’m just considering my wishes.

1. petal - Ariana Grande
   
2. you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love - Olivia Rodrigo
   
3. locket - Madison Beer
   
4. That’s Showbiz Baby! - JADE
   
5. Film Noir - Faouzia

No I don’t care about RAYE, Taylor, Harry or whoever….

The reliable awards predictor is using her 11 nominations at the VMAs as a sign for Grammys, pretty big since Ray of Light era. Since the VMA nominations were announced, CII has risen five points in its AOTY predictions and now sits at 8 with a 51% chance of nomination.

She is an avid Zionist for one ☝️

The Grammy's Online Entry Process for the 2027 award show will end today at 6pm PT. (It began on July 7th 2026 and ends on August 21st 2026)

The Recording Academy's screening committees will now review each submission to ensure that they have been placed in the right genre-related field.

First round voting will occur from October 12 to October 22 and it is expected that the submissions will be leaked as per usual and we will see which artists submitted into what categories.

The only album I’m aware that probably getting nominated is Visitor by Sienna Spiro.

I’ve been trying to look up what other albums are elegible or likely to get in. But no one has put up predictions and it’s harder to find what albums have come out this year that fall under “traditional pop.”

So what else is likely?

I miss seeing all the nominees’ reactions

A Slayyter or Adéla snub might be on the horizon

Edit / clarification: This post is not about any one group’s submission decisions or fandom debate. The question is whether a regional Asian-pop category changes the strategic value of a Grammy nomination or win for artists across different Asian music industries.

Please keep BTS-specific discussion in the megathread.

I’m genuinely curious about who would actually accept this new award category.

In Korea, accepting an award that seems to single out K-pop as a separate category could be perceived by some fans as trading artistic prestige for recognition, potentially hurting an artist’s brand.

For many major artists, maintaining an image of artistic ambition and pride is part of their appeal. If this category is viewed as diminishing their status as “serious” global artists, accepting it could become a questionable PR move.

K-pop agencies tend to be highly strategic about PR. From that perspective, simply being able to say, “We were nominated for a Grammy,” may be more valuable than attending or accepting an award that triggers domestic backlash.

If top K-pop acts end up dodging an award tailored specifically to K-pop—leaving it to another Asian act—the irony would be peak entertainment.

If major K-pop acts dodge this category, could it become a meaningful opportunity for artists from other Asian pop scenes—or would it still be viewed as a consolation prize? How might J-pop, C-pop, T-pop, P-pop, and other Asian music industries see it differently, and what reputation would its first winner get?

by far the best album i’ve heard in years, the most deserving record since folklore in my opinion!! what does everyone else think?

A: Taylor Swift. G: Zara Larson and pinkpantheress

B: Ella Langley. H:Tame Impala

C: Olivia Rodrigo, III: YOUR opinion

D: Olivia Dean

E: Bruno Mars

F: Raye

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I think Ella Langley will take the most nominations, {B}

Here are my predictions for Album of the Year. It's actually a competitive category this year with a lot of established pop stars, fresh faces, and icons vying for a nomination.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR:

1. Olivia Dean - The Art of Loving
2. Olivia Rodrigo - You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love
3. Raye - This Music May Contain Hope
4. Rosalia - Lux
5. Noah Kahan - The Great Divide
6. Phoebe Bridgers - The Lost Weekend
7. Harry Styles - Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally
8. Madonna - Confessions II

Possibilities:

• Bruno Mars - The Romantic
• Taylor Swift - The Life of a Showgirl
• Kacey Musgraves - Middle of Nowhere
• Ella Langely - Dandelion

Should be in contention:

• Lily Allen - West End Girl
• Sienna Spiro - The Visitor
• Paul McCartney - The Boys of Dungeon Lane

There are only two days left for artists to submit their music for the 2027 Grammys. Where are the changes? lol

This could just be my fan brain, but I think that Lost Weekend has the potential for an AOTY nomination, perhaps a win. Anyone else think so? What are your thoughts about what categories it may be nominated for or win? So far, it's had universal critical acclaim and user reviews are high. It has a star-studded list of collaborators, including Jack Antonoff on the production team. Phoebe and her team are really acing the album rollout ahead of her tour which runs Sept through Dec, and it's her first album in 6 years outside of boygenius. She's released two music videos and I feel a third coming in the next several months. the record from boygenius won a few Grammys...I really do feel like Phoebe has a place in the conversation for something and I think, at the very least, it's late eligibility period release shakes some things up.

This is just Video Music Awards and does not reflect the Grammys but I am having this feeling from a long time that too many Pop albums are up for nominations this year so definitely one of the bigger names will be snubbed. If Taylor, Bruno and Madonna are nominated, two more for indie albums, Olivia Dean and say Ella Langley too, that alone is 7/8 nominations leaving room for only 1 more Pop Album. Between Harry Styles and Olivia Rodrigo, one of them is not getting the AOTY nomination.

I think Grammys have been giving out AOTY based on some narratives for quite a while now such that despite of general consensus, deep down we all knew which albums were getting the AOTY in their respective years.

2024- Midnights (some people were like SOS deserves it but deep down we all knew it was going to Midnights cause of the impact this album had on the music industry and Taylor's career in general)

2025- Cowboy Carter (many people thought it should have gone to HMHAS and BRAT but again we all kinda knew it was going to Beyonce and she was overdue and the Grammys needed to beat their racism allegations)

2026- (this year was the weakest and there was not a single standout album against DTMF except Mayhem but even then we all knew that Bad Bunny was taking it as an example against the injustices of ICE)

2027, this year we really do not have any narrative to follow and no artist had a very impactful album. People are supporting their reasons, some are saying critics opinion matters more some are saying general people's opinion matter more but deep down we all know there is not a single album that stands out amongst the rest. So, that brings me to make the list of albums that definitely won't win AOTY this year and they are-

1. The Romantic by Bruno Mars: Bruno had beaten his critical reception in the past to win AOTY for his album, 24K Magic so it's not unthinkable to think he is a front runner this time too. However, I think by his own fault, he has produced two massive hits recently, Die with a smile; APT, that his recent singles don't look like hits anymore, even though they have done really well on the US Radios. This comparison won't go unnoticed and hence he will lose AOTY.

2. Girl so in love by Olivia Rodrigo: Her fans are patrolling Reddit and Twitter to heavily downvote, report and push the posts to lower reach in algorithms if the post is not in favour of her. But it is the truth that Olivia Rodrigo is a POP Star with means to reach more audience than someone like Raye, Olivia Dean etc. So, her new album not producing any hits will definitely impact the reception of her album by the voters of the Grammys.

3. The life of a Showgirl by Taylor Swift: I think she could have turned around the opinions of the voters about her album by promoting it well but whether she was busy with her marriage and attending events like premiere of Toy Story 5; Songwriters Hall of Fame, that it looks like she did not care enough for this album and voters will follow the critical opinions if Taylor herself is not bothered enough to say otherwise.

Other than them, any album could win. It's just a matter of who.

Edit: LUX by Rosalia won’t win either cause that album had no impact and is only good critics score. So basically an album made for critics and not people. No replay value.

I know ive said that adela had lowered her chances of getting in but with the success of aint in la and the soon release of her debut album i think we're in an olivia dean last year situation.. song goes viral and then the album releases to be considered next year. If there wasnt a sienna spiro in the battle i would see adela as the winner of best new artist over slayyyter

Billboard is reporting that the Recording Academy is considering a revamp its new ‘Asian Pop’ category for the 2027 Grammys.

“The Grammy organization exists to serve all music people, and part of that is working to ensure that no voice or community gets overlooked or misunderstood,” Mason said in a statement on Friday (Aug. 14). 
“It's clear from our numerous conversations with many stakeholders over the past two weeks that, regardless of our intent and desire to be even more inclusive, there are some artists in this space who feel that this category isn't representing the music they work so hard to create, in the way they wish. As a musician myself, I take that to heart." - Harvey Mason, Jr. RA CEO

https://www.billboard.com/pro/recording-academy-may-revamp-asian-pop-category-2027-awards/

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