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BTS exit from Grammys not a surprise says Salim Merchant
Salim Merchant emphasises that the Recording Academy has a standard policy of preferring its artistes
The Recording Academy, which hosts the Grammys, recently announced the Best Asian Pop Music Performance category. This has raised multiple discussions, with popular K-pop band BTS officially stating that they will not be submitting their entry for the Grammys 2027 due to the introduction of such a category. However, acclaimed Indian music composer Salim Merchant states that “The Academy has a standard policy of giving preference to their artists; that is how the Academy operates, and it is their prerogative. I am not surprised at all [to learn] about BTS.” Merchant goes on to specify, “When AR Rahman got his Grammy for Slumdog Millionaire (2008), there was a very strong representation of his management in the United States of America (USA).”
Merchant emphasises that the Recording Academy is for the USA. “All the proceeds that the Grammy receives go to charity for the recording artists in America. So, as a non-American, there are very less chances that your entry will come in the main category,” he quips. The 52-year-old points out that eventually the rest of the music industry, which is outside of America, will be considered as world music. “The category of world music is small, but the industry is huge. There are endless possibilities, and there are so many artists from other countries. And unfortunately, they only get categorised in the non-mainstream category,” he elaborates.
To put it in context and explain things from an Indian perspective, the composer shares, “If I, as an Indian citizen, give my album for a Grammy nomination, it will be nowhere close to a nomination, unless I collaborate with an Academy member.” One of the recent examples that Merchant cited was of three-time Grammy Award-winner Ricky Kej. Merchant says, “For Divine Tides, Kej had collaborated with Stewart Copeland, the former drummer of English rock band The Police. And Copeland is a very respected member of the Academy. He is an American artist, settled there and is a celebrated artist. [Hence,] Divine Tides was a very strong contender at the Grammys and went on to win that year.” Merchant believes recording artists in India and across the world don’t know about this.
Highlighting the fact that AR Rahman, who won two Grammys, was affiliated with a popular management agency in the USA during the time of Slumdog Millionaire, Merchant shares, “The Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency, one of the biggest talent management agencies in the USA, was managing Rahman during the time of Slumdog Millionaire. They used to make sure his representation was done in Hollywood because, for some time, Rahman was considering moving to the USA. During his affiliation with Gorfaine/Schwartz, they must have made him a recording artist, and that’s why the Grammys.”
