South Korean K-pop group Stray Kids has decided not to submit any music for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards, following a similar decision by fellow K-pop powerhouse BTS. The move has intensified debate over the Recording Academy’s newly introduced category for Asian pop music.
JYP Entertainment, Stray Kids’ agency, confirmed that the group did not submit any work before the Aug. 21 deadline. The agency did not give a reason for the decision or say whether it was connected to the new Asian Pop category. Under Grammy rules, songs or albums that are not formally submitted cannot be considered for nominations.
The Recording Academy announced in June that it would introduce a Best Asian Pop Music Performance category at the 69th Grammy Awards, scheduled for Feb. 7, 2027. The category is intended to recognize pop music created in Asian markets and includes genres such as K-pop, J-pop and C-pop.
The new category has drawn criticism from some artists and observers who fear that creating a separate award for Asian pop could further isolate Asian music from the Grammy’s major categories. Critics have questioned whether separate recognition would improve representation or instead make it harder for Asian artists to compete in categories such as Album of the Year and Song of the Year.
The debate became more prominent after BTS announced in July that it would not submit any music for Grammy consideration. The seven members said they hoped their music would be “heard and loved for what it is” rather than being divided by region or language.
Stray Kids had not previously taken a direct public position on the Grammy issue. At a press conference in August to promote their latest EP, This & That, member Hyunjin said the group had never made music with awards or records as its primary goal. The members have repeatedly emphasized their music and performances rather than external recognition.
Stray Kids’ decision is particularly notable given the group’s growing success in the United States. Its latest EP, This & That, became its ninth consecutive No. 1 album on the Billboard 200. The achievement tied the group with the Rolling Stones for the second-most No. 1 albums among groups in the chart’s history, behind only the Beatles.
The group has also expanded its international presence through major festival appearances, including performances at New York’s Governors Ball and Brazil’s Rock in Rio.
Another significant aspect of the decision is that all eight Stray Kids members—Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin and I.N—were invited this year to become Recording Academy voting members. That means they can participate in selecting Grammy nominees and winners even though they have chosen not to submit their own music.
BTS members are also Recording Academy voters. The group has previously received five Grammy nominations without winning an award.
The Recording Academy, meanwhile, has said it intends to retain the new Asian Pop category for the 2027 ceremony. CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said the academy had consulted with people across the Asian music industry and acknowledged that opinions on the category were divided. He has also defended the move as an effort to give Asian music greater recognition.
One of the issues surrounding the new category is its language requirement. Eligible recordings must contain a “meaningful use” of an Asian language. That criterion could exclude some recent English-language releases by major Korean acts, including BTS and BLACKPINK, from competing in the new category.
With both BTS and Stray Kids choosing not to submit music, the debate over whether Asian artists should receive dedicated Grammy categories—or compete primarily within the awards’ existing mainstream fields—is likely to remain a prominent issue ahead of the 2027 ceremony.
