Stray Kids have reportedly joined BTS in their boycott of the Grammy Awards following the announcement that the Recording Academy will introduce a new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category next year.
When the new category was introduced in July, BTS quickly issued a statement saying, “We have decided not to enter the Grammys this year. I hope that music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language.”
Hours after Grammy chief Harvey Mason Jr. confirmed that the controversial new category will go ahead at the 2027 Grammy Awards, fellow K-pop giants Stray Kids have joined the resistance.
While members of Stray Kids - Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin and I.N - did not vocally announce their boycott, JYP Entertainment, which represents the group, has told Korean media that they did not submit their music for consideration ahead of the August 21 deadline.
The explanation given was simply, “Stray Kids did not submit for the Grammys.”
The eight-member group’s latest album, This and That, recently topped the Billboard 200 Album chart, and were regarded as one of the favourites to win the category.
In admitting the Grammys would go ahead with their decision to launch the category, Mason Jr. explained, “Over the past several weeks the Academy has been conducting listening sessions and have been in dialogue with leaders of the Asian music community. The journey has been rewarding and inspiring. Our organization is at its best when we engage deeply with music people and go the extra mile to understand their lived experiences.”
“In this case, we heard candid feedback from people in our community who don’t support the continuation of this category.” he continued. “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.”
“We understand this conclusion will not satisfy everyone, and that never feels good,” he added. “But at the same time, we are confident it’s the right conclusion for the music community overall. As is the case with all our categories, we will continue to diligently engage with the music community and keep striving to honor this music — and all music — in the best possible way. We look forward to celebrating the Asian Pop Music Performance nominees at the 2027 Grammy Awards.”