Key facts
- Stray Kids will not submit for the 2027 Grammy Awards.
- BTS is also boycotting the 2027 Grammy Awards.
- The boycott is in protest of a new Grammy category for Asian pop music.
- Critics argue the new category will ghettoize genres like K-Pop and J-Pop.
- The Recording Academy defended the category as recognition of artistic excellence.
- Stray Kids and BTS are voting members of the Recording Academy.
One of the world's biggest K-pop groups, Stray Kids, are joining BTS in boycotting the 2027 Grammy Awards. The decision follows the introduction of a controversial new category for Asian pop music, which critics fear will ghettoize genres like K-Pop and J-Pop.
Stray Kids' record label, JYP, stated, "Stray Kids did not submit for the Grammys." This move comes after the group had previously refrained from directly answering questions about the awards. During a press conference in August, Stray Kids singer Hwang Hyun-jin said, "We have never once set award results or records as our goal. Our top priority is for our fans to be happy and satisfied."
The Recording Academy, which organizes the Grammys, confirmed the new Asian pop category would proceed for the 2027 ceremony. Grammys boss Harvey Mason Jr stated that while the Academy heard feedback against the category, "the loudest feedback we heard was from people who were enthusiastic supporters of the category." He acknowledged the decision "will not satisfy everyone" but said discussions would continue.
The new category, announced in June, aims to recognize "artistic excellence in Asian pop music performances originating from or widely recognized within Asian markets." It was introduced after a K-pop song became the first to win a Grammy in February. However, the award has faced criticism, with many feeling it segregates Asian artists from mainstream categories and that a stipulation requiring "meaningful use" of an Asian language unfairly excludes acts like BTS and Blackpink, whose recent releases are primarily in English.
Grammy nominations are due to be revealed on December 10. Other major acts may also follow suit, with Ateez leader Kim Hong-joon expressing agreement with BTS's stance.