JYP Entertainment confirmed on October 2 that Stray Kids submitted no work for the 2027 Grammy Awards before the August deadline, joining BTS in boycotting the ceremony over a controversial new Asian pop category.
Following a path cleared by BTS earlier in the summer, Stray Kids will not participate in the upcoming ceremony, as reported by BBC. The decision stems directly from industry backlash against the Recording Academy’s newly introduced Best Asian Pop Music Performance category.
Critics argue that establishing a separate genre category risks marginalizing Asian acts. With both BTS and Stray Kids sitting out, the awards show loses two prominent global forces. In July, the members of BTS announced that they would not be participating in the Grammys in protest of the awards being divided by region or language. Stray Kids had previously refrained from giving a direct answer to questions about the awards. During a press conference for their latest album, This and That, in August, singer Hwang Hyun-jin said that they had never once set award results or records as their goal, and that their top priority was for their fans to be happy and satisfied.
JYP Entertainment Confirms Stray Kids Withdrew All Submissions
Stray Kids made their position official when JYP Entertainment confirmed that the eight-piece group submitted no music for the 69th Grammy Awards before the August 21 deadline. Without formal submissions, the group cannot receive nominations or appear on voting ballots.
The decision carries extra weight because all eight members were granted voting privileges by the Recording Academy this year. Their withdrawal follows a dominant run that includes topping the Billboard 200 twice in the past year with their EP DO IT
and August’s THIS & THAT
, whose title track reached No. 38 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. Defends the New Category
BTS announced in late July that they would not submit their comeback album ARIRANG
for consideration. At the time, the members shared identical statements on their social media accounts explaining their stance.
“We have decided not to submit for Grammys this year. Rather than music being divided by region or language, we hope music itself can be heard and loved for what it is. We are always grateful to ARMY and everyone who is always with us.”
BTS members RM, Jin, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook, via Instagram
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. confirmed that the award will move forward as scheduled despite weeks of listening sessions. In a statement released on October 1, Mason acknowledged receiving candid feedback from opponents of the category.
“Over the past several weeks the Academy has been conducting listening sessions and have been in dialogue with leaders of the Asian music community. In this case, we heard candid feedback from people in our community who don’t support the continuation of this category. We also heard from people who didn’t have accurate information about the category, and having space to clear up misperceptions has been especially valuable. But by far, the loudest feedback we heard was from people who were enthusiastic supporters of the category, fellow music creators expressing their encouragement for keeping it.”
Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy
Strict Language Rules Prompt Exclusion Concerns
According to Dispatch reporting, the Asian Pop award targets performances originating from or widely known in Asian markets such as K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop, provided that at least one Asian language is meaningfully used. Songs performed entirely in English are strictly barred from the category.
Ethnomusicologist Stephanie Choi noted in a TIME column highlighted by UA.News that these rules create a severe dilemma for international artists who frequently release dual-language versions of tracks. Critics point out that grouping distinct cultures and languages under a single label risks pushing Asian creators away from general top categories.
| Artist / Entity | Action Taken | Notable Recent Release |
|---|---|---|
| BTS | Boycotted 2027 Grammys | Album: ARIRANG |
| Stray Kids | Declined 2027 submissions | EP: THIS & THAT |
| Recording Academy | Confirmed Asian Pop category debut | 69th Grammy Awards |
Nominees will be announced on November 16 ahead of the awards ceremony on February 7, 2027, in Los Angeles, with first-round voting scheduled to begin on October 12.
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