Stray Kids will not be part of the 2027 Grammy Awards. Their label JYP confirmed the group didn’t submit any music for the ceremony, making them the second major K-pop act to sit out the show. BTS announced their own boycott after the Recording Academy introduced a new category called Asian Pop Music Performance, which requires meaningful use of an Asian language and focuses on Asian pop from Asian markets.
The backlash centers on what that category actually means. Fans and artists worry it creates a separate lane that keeps Asian acts away from the night’s biggest prizes, like Album of the Year. Stray Kids made their position clear in a statement, saying they hope music can be heard and loved for itself, beyond regions or languages. The timing is loud, too. The group just topped charts with“This and That”and headlined Rock in Rio, so this isn’t an act with nothing to submit, it’s a deliberate choice.
Grammys CEO Harvey Mason Jr. has acknowledged the concerns but confirmed the category will move forward when the show airs February 7. With two of the biggest fandoms in music now fully engaged, the pressure is on the Academy to respond. Do you think more artists should join the boycott, or is the new category being misunderstood?
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Local Lawton
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