Stray Kids Join BTS in Grammy Submission Boycott

The group previously sidestepped questions about the introduction of the Best Asian Pop Performance category, which will proceed as planned at next year's Grammys

Stray Kids have not submitted their latest project, This & That, for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards. According to Variety, JYP Entertainment confirmed the eight-piece group allowed the eligibility period, which concluded on Aug. 28, just two weeks after the EP release, to pass without action.

Stray Kids join BTS in opting not to submit music for the upcoming ceremony, which will include the first presentation of the Best Asian Pop Music Performance category. In July, BTS released a statement regarding their decision not to participate in the 2027 Grammy Awards. The seven-piece shared their “hope that music can be heard and loved by itself rather than being divided by region or language.”

The Recording Academy acknowledged the pushback it received regarding the new pop subsection which recognizes “artistic excellence in Asian pop music performances originating from or widely recognized within Asian markets.” But after weeks of “conducting listening sessions” and being “in dialogue with leaders of the Asian music community,” the Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said this week, the decision was made to move forward with the category.

The Recording Academy claimed “the loudest feedback we heard was from people who were enthusiastic supporters of the category,” evidently the likes of Stray Kids and BTS not among those voices.

Representatives for Stray Kids did not immediately return Rolling Stone‘s request for comment regarding the decision. However, just weeks after the Recording Academy expanded its categories to include Best Asian Pop Music Performance, among others, the label conglomerate JYP Entertainment revealed all eight members of Stray Kids, as well as all seven members of Twice, were selected to join the Grammys voting body, according to the Korea Times.

Stray Kids have not previously been nominated for any Grammy Awards categories, despite being a mainstay in K-Pop. In August, the group was asked during a press conference whether they planned to participate in the 2027 Grammy Awards season, but their response focused primarily on their music.

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“We’ve never once set out to make an album chasing a particular award or record,” Seungmin said. “When we talk about the music or performances we love, it doesn’t come from how we’re seen from the outside — it comes from what’s inside us as we build a stage or write lyrics. It’s less about outside expectations around awards and more about capturing the sound and story we want to tell.”

When asked more specifically about the Best Asian Pop Music Performance category, Seungmin said, “I feel so thankful that K-pop, as a genre, is loved this much around the world. It makes me realize all over again just how powerful music can be.”