What can we learn from BTS's three consecutive Grammy nominations without winning anything?

BTS went home empty-handed three times.

On the morning of February 6th (Vietnam time), the 2023 Grammy Awards officially concluded, and BTS once again went home empty-handed despite being nominated in two categories this year.

BTS has been nominated for the Grammy Awards for the past three years but has never won an award.

Specifically, the South Korean group was nominated for Best Pop Performance by a Group/Duo for their song "My Universe," a collaboration with the British rock band Coldplay. They were also nominated for Best Music Video for their music video "Yet To Come."

However, BTS missed out on both awards. The Best Music Video award went to Taylor Swift for "All Too Well: The Short Film," and the Best Group/Duo Performance award went to Kim Petras and Sam Smith for their hit song "Unholy."

BTS members J-Hope, RM, and Suga are credited with writing the music for "Music of the Spheres" under their real names: Jung Ho-seok, Kim Nam-joon, and Min Yoon-gi.

This is the third year the group has received Grammy nominations, but unfortunately, BTS has yet to win any awards. This result had been predicted by experts for a long time.

In reality, Grammy winners are decided by votes from members of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. That is, the Grammys prioritize music quality over popularity or the band's reach.

From a certain perspective, Professor of Anthropology Lee Gyu Tak suggests that BTS's repeated failure to win awards stems from the fact that the Grammy Awards have yet to accept artists who are not from Europe or America.

Does BTS need a Grammy?

The Korea Boo newspaper argued that BTS's failure to win a Grammy was not a setback, because "BTS performed well enough and proved their influence."

BTS's appearance at the 2022 Grammy Awards generated a huge media buzz.

Sharing the same view, Kim Jin-woo, a music professor at the Seoul Arts Academy, said: “This time BTS came away empty-handed, but this means the group still has a higher goal to achieve. Therefore, we shouldn't call this a failure, but rather see it as an opportunity for BTS to overcome a difficult challenge.”

However, Lee Gyu Tak raised a bigger issue, saying, "Instead of asking why BTS didn't win, the question should be whether BTS needs Grammys at all. BTS has achieved almost everything an artist can do."

The Grammy Awards don't suit BTS's musical style. So why would BTS care about winning that award? Besides its symbolic value, it doesn't mean much."

Remember, two years ago, when BTS was at the peak of their popularity and creating a global sensation with "Dynamite" and "Butler," they still ended up empty-handed.

Furthermore, last year, the Grammy Awards only attracted 8.8 million television viewers. Despite the failure, BTS's individual performance garnered over 7 million views.

Why is the group still included on the list this year, despite their lackluster activities? Sports Kyunghyang suggests that BTS's inclusion in the 2023 Grammy nominations list is nothing more than a "bait" to attract media attention.

Of course, the Grammy Award is still a long way off, but BTS's global influence, their dominance of top US charts, and their contribution of $5 billion annually to South Korea's GDP are undeniable.