The Grammys Might Be Coming To South Korea— Here’s Everything To Know
According to reports, South Korea might be hosting an Asian rendition of the Grammy Awards.
The Korea Times reported that the Recording Academy is considering either Korea or Japan as the venue to hold the “Asian Grammy.” In case the show is hosted in Korea, Seoul, Incheon, and Hanam are being considered as the three possible cities.
Panos Panay, the President of the Recording Academy, and Harvey Mason Jr, the CEO, reportedly visited Korea recently to discuss the event with music and tech industry professionals, as well as the municipal governments. It is being said that the two held meetings with K-Pop powerhouses like HYBE and YG Entertainment, along with entertainment leaders like Kakao Entertainment and CJ ENM, and tech giants such as Naver and KT for this purpose.
Though officials from most of these companies have confirmed that they met with the Recording Academy executives, no further detail has been revealed. An official from one of the companies said, “Holding an award ceremony in Korea will ‘meet each other’s needs’ because Grammy seeks expansion to Korean and Asian markets, while Korea’s entertainment industry will benefit from Grammy’s established reputation.”
The possibility of an Asian Grammy Award is not a surprise to those who have been in touch with the music industry. In a 2023 interview, Mason made the Recording Academy’s intention to push for a global presence very clear.
We’ve been going to every corner of the world to learn and understand what’s happening and where we might be able to be helpful or in service. We’re going places to try and understand how we can collaborate, how we can be a part of their music ecosystem.
— Harvey Mason Jr
The Grammy Awards have had a bittersweet relationship with K-Pop so far, with fans often finding the Academy’s lack of acknowledgment of K-Pop artists glaringly xenophobic. Many are also on the fence about popular award shows and charts creating K-Pop or Asia-specific versions to accommodate non-Western artists instead of making space for them at the main table.
Look at the lengths they go to not give Asian people a Grammy. America has unabashed racism and no one is even making a proper noise about it. https://t.co/6IDBBiTZAr
— nótt⁷✯ muse (@taehyunghalpert) June 16, 2024
OH THEY CAN GO FK THEMSELVES ALL THE WAY OFF THIS IS NOT JUST GHETTOISING NOPE ITS BASICALLY SAYING YOU CANT EVEN COME TO AMERICA FOR GRAMMY’s STAY IN YOUR COUNTRY wtf is Asian Grammy’s wtf is that shite fk them fk them pic.twitter.com/f8ezaowoxM
— anoo ⁷💜🫒 (@Anewanoo7) June 14, 2024
Making an "Asian" version because the Grammy was never inclusive and cannot take the fact that an asian group is more successful than their white artists. https://t.co/qKrkRX0Dvb
— V A N ⁷ 🥢💜 (@tinyoongls) June 17, 2024
Nobody wants this separate awards. Grammy awards should recognise Asian artists. https://t.co/bH7feLG8QP
— Merrilyme (@maberrie) June 17, 2024
It remains to be seen how the Academy’s speculated plans will sit with the fans in the future.
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