Stray Kids join BTS in skipping Grammy submissions over new Asian pop category

Stray Kids bypass submissions

South Korean boy band Stray Kids did not submit any music for consideration at the 69th Grammy Awards, their management agency JYP Entertainment confirmed on 2 October 2026. The eight-member group, consisting of Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N, allowed the eligibility deadline in August to pass without filing an entry for their tenth EP, titled This & That. Under Recording Academy regulations, recordings that are not formally entered during the submission window cannot be screened on voting ballots or compete for trophies. JYP Entertainment did not provide an official explanation for the choice, but the decision removes one of the most prominent international K-pop acts from the 2027 award cycle. The group previously became the first K-pop act to sell out the Amsterdam Arena in 2025.

Boycott follows BTS announcement

The move aligns Stray Kids with BTS, who announced in July 2026 that they would withhold all their music from Grammy consideration. BTS reached their decision shortly after releasing their album ARIRANG, which spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 following their hiatus for mandatory military service in South Korea. The seven members (RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook) had accumulated five Grammy nominations across previous cycles without securing a win. At the February 2026 ceremony, the song Golden from the animated film Demon Hunters became the first track in the K-pop genre to win a Grammy. In their July statement, BTS members expressed concern that geographic categorization separates global music.

We hope our music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language.

Recording Academy defends new category

The controversy centers on the Recording Academy's establishment of the Best Asian Pop Music Performance category, scheduled for its inaugural presentation in February 2027. Following months of friction, academy leadership conducted listening sessions and organized an early September virtual meeting with more than 80 artists, music executives, and community stakeholders. On 1 October 2026, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. confirmed that the organization would move forward with the award. Mason noted that creating specialized fields expands the total roster of artists recognized across the 15,000-member voting body without preventing acts from competing in general categories.

The Asian pop category was created to celebrate the depth, diversity and extraordinary growth of pop artistry coming out of Asia.

Voting roles and member perspectives

The decision to withhold music comes even as members of both groups hold formal voting privileges inside the Recording Academy. All eight members of Stray Kids, along with the seven members of labelmates Twice, were invited to join the Grammy voting body earlier in 2026. Stray Kids, who recently earned their ninth US number one album and headlined the Governors Ball festival in New York alongside Lorde and A$AP Rocky, addressed their artistic goals at a Seoul press conference on 6 August 2026. Vocalist Seungmin explained that the group writes lyrics and develops performances based on internal vision rather than external award expectations. Member Hyunjin added that the band has never treated chart records or awards as goals, prioritizing fan reception instead.