Stray Kids sit out 2027 Grammys after BTS protest over Asian pop award

Stray Kids will not compete at the 2027 Grammy Awards. JYP Entertainment, the group's label, told outlets on Oct. 2 that the group submitted nothing for consideration, the formal entry that puts music on voters' ballots, according to Billboard.

No entries. No place on the ballot.

The decision follows BTS, who said in July that they would not take part in the Grammy process. The seven members shared that choice in individual Instagram Story posts, as reported by Rolling Stone. BTS described the move as a protest against awards "being divided by region or language," according to Billboard.

At the centre of the dispute is a new category, best Asian pop music performance. The Recording Academy, the US organisation behind the Grammys, confirmed on Oct. 1 that it will go ahead with the category for the 2027 show. The category is for singles or tracks, vocal only, according to the Academy's awards updates page.

The Academy had organised a review of the new award in early September. More than 80 artists, executives and stakeholders from the Asian music community joined a virtual call with Academy trustees and governors to discuss it.

BTS had commercial momentum behind them at the time of their announcement. Their album ARIRANG spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, the US album chart. The group said it will not submit ARIRANG for consideration at the 2027 Grammys.

HYBE, the company behind BTS, later clarified that the group's decision was "not a company-wide boycott," as reported by Billboard. That distinction matters because HYBE represents other acts that remain eligible to enter.

The 69th Annual Grammy Awards are scheduled for February 2027, according to Reuters.

For fans, this means two of K-pop's most-streamed live draws will be absent from Grammy ballots entirely. Their recent releases can still appear on other charts and awards lists. They simply will not be in front of Grammy voters next year.