Stray Kids Join BTS in Boycotting Grammy Submissions

The controversy surrounding Asian pop music at the 2027 Grammy Awards has intensified after South Korean K-pop group Stray Kids decided not to submit any songs for consideration. Earlier, K-pop supergroup BTS had announced a similar decision.

The Recording Academy announced a new Best Asian Pop category in June, aimed at recognizing artistic excellence in pop music created in or connected to Asian markets. However, the decision has faced criticism from some artists and industry observers.

Critics fear that creating a separate category for Asian pop could further isolate K-pop, J-pop and other Asian music genres from the Grammy Awards’ major categories. Some argue that artists from Asia could have fewer opportunities to compete for major awards such as Album of the Year and Song of the Year.

Amid the debate, Stray Kids’ record label JYP Entertainment confirmed that the group had not submitted any song for Grammy consideration.

BTS announced in July that the group would also not submit songs in any category. The group said it wanted its music to be heard and appreciated on its own merits rather than being categorized according to region or language.

Stray Kids had not previously made a direct statement about the Grammys. However, during a press conference for their new album This and That in August, member Hwang Hyunjin said awards and records had never been the group’s main goal. Their biggest priority, he said, was keeping their fans happy and satisfied.

Stray Kids’ decision is significant for the Recording Academy as the group’s popularity in the United States continues to grow. The band recently performed alongside Lorde and A$AP Rocky at the Governors Ball festival in New York. They had also performed as a major attraction at Brazil’s Rock in Rio festival.

Language is another major point of debate surrounding the new category. The eligibility rules reportedly require nominated songs to contain meaningful use of an Asian language. That could exclude recent English-language releases by two of the most internationally recognized Korean acts, BTS and BLACKPINK.

The Recording Academy argues that the new category reflects the growing global influence and popularity of Asian pop music. Critics, however, believe creating a separate category could push Asian music further away from the mainstream Grammy awards.

ATEEZ leader Kim Hong-joong has also indicated support for BTS and Stray Kids’ position. In an interview, he said BTS’s decision made him think about the issue and suggested that he could consider the matter in a similar way.

The nominations for the 2027 Grammy Awards will be announced on December 10. The announcement will reveal which other Asian and K-pop artists have submitted their music for consideration.

Stray Kids have also achieved major success on the U.S. album charts. Including their latest release, the group has had nine albums reach No. 1 on the U.S. album chart, with only The Beatles having more No. 1 albums.

All eight Stray Kids members became eligible to vote for the Grammys this year, making their decision not to submit music particularly notable. Members of BTS are also Recording Academy voters.

Despite the decisions by BTS and Stray Kids, the Recording Academy has no plans to cancel the new category. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. recently confirmed that the Asian Pop category will remain part of the 2027 Grammy Awards.

Mason Jr. said the Academy had consulted with people from across the Asian music industry. While some supported removing the category, many artists also expressed support for it. He acknowledged that the decision would not satisfy everyone but said discussions would continue on how best to recognize Asian music.

Source: BBC