BTS has pulled out of the Grammys, and now Stray Kids is doing the same. The second-biggest K-pop boy band in the world has followed BTS’s lead by declining to submit any new music for Grammy consideration. The move comes as the Recording Academy faces renewed questions over its Asian Pop Music award, which was introduced this year.
Stray Kids filed no entry before the Aug. 21 submission deadline without explanation. JYP Entertainment, the group’s management company, confirmed Stray Kids wouldn’t take part in the Grammys. The decision puts the band in the same camp as BTS, who announced they are boycotting next year’s ceremony and refusing to submit any of their music for award consideration.
BTS’s Statement Explains Why
BTS wrote in their shared statement: “I hope that music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language” in Korean. The band has been nominated for five awards but has never won a Grammy.
The statement points at the core of the dispute. BTS want music judged on its own merits, not on where it comes from or what language it uses. That is a fair point to make, and it is the stated basis for their decision to stay away. The band has never won a Grammy despite five nominations, which makes their refusal to submit for the next ceremony particularly pointed. BTS have always been vocal about wanting their music to stand on its own, and this decision continues that pattern.
Stray Kids Follows BTS’s Lead
Stray Kids are the second-biggest K-pop boy band. Their withdrawal suggests the category was seen as a genre ghetto rather than a meaningful addition. The group’s management company confirmed the decision without offering further explanation.
The timing is notable. BTS announced their decision publicly. Stray Kids declined entry before the Aug. 21 deadline. Both groups chose to sit out rather than enter. Neither group sought to draw attention to their absence; BTS made their position public through a statement, while Stray Kids simply did not file an entry. The two groups arrived at the same conclusion by different paths.
The Asian Pop Music Award In Question
The Asian Pop Music award recognizes pieces of pop music that “feature meaningful use of one or more Asian languages.” It is a category that exists to highlight Asian-language music within the broader pop field.
The category was introduced this year. Its presence is the reason BTS and Stray Kids are choosing to stay away. The category exists to recognize Asian-language pop music, and both groups see it as a reason to refuse entry rather than a reason to seek it. Neither group has entered the category, and neither has expressed interest in doing so.
Recording Academy Defends The Category
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason, Jr. addressed the controversy over the Asian Pop Music category on Thursday. He defended the category as reflecting enthusiasm from Asian music creators.
Mason said the Academy has been conducting listening sessions and engaging with leaders of the Asian music community. He said the loudest feedback came from people enthusiastically supporting the category. His conclusion was that the category is the right one for the music community overall.
The defense is direct. The Academy sees the category as a positive step, while the artists who chose to stay away clearly disagree. The two positions could not be more opposed: the Academy is defending the category, and BTS and Stray Kids are refusing to engage with it.
The Only K-Pop Winner
The only K-pop song ever to win a Grammy is “Golden,” the Kpop Demon Hunters soundtrack hit that won Best Song Written For Visual Media earlier this year. That is a single exception in a long history of Korean pop music.
The win came in a category that is not the Asian Pop Music award. It is a separate category, and its existence does not settle the question of whether the Asian Pop Music award is needed or wanted. The win shows that Korean music can win at the Grammys, but it does not answer the question of whether a separate Asian category is the right way to recognize it.
Comparing BTS And Stray Kids On The Grammys
| Group | Awards Won | Status |
|---|---|---|
| BTS | Five nominations | Boycotting next year’s ceremony |
| Stray Kids | None | Declined entry before Aug. 21 deadline |
Both groups have been invited to become Recording Academy voters this year. That invitation is separate from the award process, and it does not change the fact that neither group submitted music this time around.
What This Means For K-Pop At The Grammys
K-pop’s biggest acts are now absent from next year’s ceremony. BTS and Stray Kids together represent a significant share of the genre’s global audience.
The move also raises questions about how the Grammys treats international music. The Asian Pop Music award was introduced to give Asian-language pop a place on the ballot. BTS and Stray Kids see it differently. They see it as a category that divides music by region, which is precisely what their statement opposes.
The Recording Academy has said it will celebrate the Asian Pop Music Performance nominees at the 2027 Grammy Awards. Whether that category draws the attention it was meant to is unclear.
The only K-pop winner remains “Golden.” The rest of the field is empty where these two groups are concerned.
Ranking The Groups By Their Grammy History
- BTS — five nominations, zero wins, now boycotting next year’s ceremony
- Stray Kids — zero nominations, zero entries, declined before the Aug. 21 deadline
- “Golden” — the only K-pop song to win a Grammy, in Best Song Written For Visual Media
Each group has approached the Grammys differently. BTS made their position public and explained it. Stray Kids declined entry without fanfare. Both groups reached the same conclusion: the Asian Pop Music category is not one they want to compete in.
The Recording Academy’s response has been measured. Mason acknowledged the criticism but defended the category’s continued existence. The Academy’s position is that the category reflects genuine enthusiasm from Asian music creators, even if some critics disagree.
The category’s future is now tied to next year’s ceremony. The Recording Academy has said it will celebrate the nominees at the 2027 Grammy Awards, though it is not yet clear whether BTS and Stray Kids will change their minds before then.
For now, the only certainty is the past. “Golden” remains the only K-pop winner in Grammy history. BTS and Stray Kids have made their choice, and the rest of the field waits to see whether the category survives.
Source material: “Stray Kids Are Also Boycotting The Grammys,” Stereogum.
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