Oct 04, 2026 3:44pm IST
BTS, Stray Kids Opt Out of Grammy’s Best Asian Pop Race, BLACKPINK Deemed Ineligible
The Recording Academy’s Best Asian Pop Performance category, which was newly announced as part of the upcoming ceremony in 2027, is not getting quite the response that the organization may have hoped for, especially from many K-Pop acts. Ahead of the first round of voting that begins on October 12 and lasts for 10 days, through to October 22, take a look at the many K-Pop musicians who will not be a part of the nomination process.
BTS
One of the firsts to voice their decision to opt out, the Korean group has stood at the forefront of this debate. Even as many see the introduction of the category as an opportunity for more Asian musicians to be recognized, the team has remained strong. Previously, announcing their decision to step away from submitting their music to the upcoming Grammy Awards ceremony, BTS said: “We hope music will be heard and loved for the music itself rather than being divided by region or language.” The group’s seven members shared the same update on each of their social media accounts, showing their displeasure with the new category.
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Stray Kids
Recently, in response to speculation that the octet was also distancing itself from the controversial category, their label, JYP Entertainment, confirmed it to the BBC. Their short statement said, "Stray Kids did not submit for the Grammys." This follows the group’s earlier response during a press conference for their album “THIS & THAT” back in August, when member Hyunjin had said, "We have never once set award results or records as our goal. Our top priority is for our fans to be happy and satisfied."
“We’re truly grateful that K-Pop is receiving so much love around the world, and it reminds us once again of the power of music,” member Seungmin had shared.
ATEEZ
After the successful run of their latest album, the eight-piece is a popular voice for possible nominations at the 2027 Grammys. However, when asked about the category, leader Hongjoong backed BTS’ opinion. "I saw the many articles and I'd love to think about that too," he said, talking about possibly submitting their music in a chat with Variety. "I'm not sure because no one can know about the real reason they tried to make that title. No one can recognize the real reason. But it seems like, for me, [and this is] very individual thinking: I think I agree [a little] with what BTS did," he added. Sharing that winning a golden gramophone remains a dream but added that he believes in music having no boundaries.
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BLACKPINK
The girl group, considered one of the leaders in K-Pop music, dropped their third mini-album “DEADLINE” in February, earlier this year. However, their lead single off the album, “JUMP,” is not eligible for Asian Pop consideration as it was released outside the eligibility period, in July last year, cutting it just short of the August 31, 2025-August 28, 2026 window. Meanwhile, the other songs are not eligible, being all-English releases, a big no-no for the category. The same goes for their solo music.
Even as the Academy chose to possibly reconsider the addition of the category, they later confirmed the continuation in a statement on October 2. "We heard candid feedback from people in our community who don't support the continuation of this category. 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," a statement from Harvey Mason Jr. said.
The nominations for the upcoming ceremony will be announced on Monday, November 16, while the final round of voting will be held from December 10, 2026, to January 7, 2027. The 69th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on Sunday, February 7, 2027, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, USA.
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