BTS Fails to Win Grammy, "Regretful for Not Being Able to Repay Fans"

The group BTS passionately performed their hit song "Butter" on the 3rd (local time) at the 64th Grammy Awards ceremony held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, USA. As the fourth performer of the night, BTS members appeared wearing black suits like secret agents, dominating the atmosphere. Photo by AFP Las Vegas - Yonhap News

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[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] The 64th Grammy Awards, which left viewers disappointed due to the group BTS's failure to win, recorded viewership levels similar to last year's all-time lows.

According to U.S. entertainment media Deadline on the 4th (local time), this year's Grammy Awards viewership was counted at 8.93 million (U.S. viewers), similar to last year's level. This is only about 1% higher than last year's all-time low of 8.8 million. Previously, the 61st Grammy Awards in 2019 had 19.9 million viewers, and the 62nd in 2020 had 18.7 million viewers.

This year's Grammy Awards ceremony offered a rich lineup comparable to pre-COVID-19 levels, but the results did not live up to the reputation of the U.S.'s most prestigious music award. The Los Angeles Times (LAT) analyzed that the decline in live TV viewership is due to viewers shifting to streaming platforms. This means the awards show no longer serves as a strong attraction to draw viewers as it once did.

Meanwhile, BTS was nominated for the Grammy Awards for the second consecutive year but failed to win.

After the ceremony, BTS members said in a live broadcast, "We had high hopes that winning an award would be a way to repay ARMY (BTS fans), so it was disappointing."

Previously, BTS was nominated for the 'Best Pop Duo/Group Performance' category for two consecutive years with 'Butter.' The award went to Doja Cat and SZA for 'Kiss Me More.'

The 'Best Pop Duo/Group Performance' category, in which BTS was nominated, is not one of the four major awards among the total 84 categories, but it gained attention as it was announced near the end of the third segment this year. With high expectations for BTS to win, the YouTube live broadcast video recorded a high view count of 5.87 million. However, after failing to win, the hashtag 'Scammys' (a blend of scam and Grammys) trended on Twitter, implying that the Grammy Awards used BTS as bait for ratings.

After the ceremony, BTS is scheduled to hold the 'BTS Permission to Dance On Stage - Las Vegas' concerts in Las Vegas on the 8th-9th and 15th-16th to meet with fans.

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