Stray Kids will not submit their music for consideration at the 69th Grammy Awards, placing the K-pop group alongside BTS in opting out of the 2027 ceremony. The group have reportedly decided not to submit their music for consideration, according to Naver, although JYP Entertainment had not confirmed the report at the time.
The decision comes days after the Recording Academy confirmed that its new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category will proceed, despite criticism surrounding the award.
Stray Kids had remained noncommittal when asked about the awards during an August press conference for their 10th EP, This & That, with members instead emphasizing that their music was not created around the pursuit of specific awards.
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Seungmin said at the time that Stray Kids had never approached an album with a particular record or award in mind, while Hyunjin stressed that This & That was about showing the group could explore different styles and satisfy their fans. With the October 2 confirmation, that position has now translated into a decision not to enter their eligible recordings in any Grammy category.
The timing places the group in the same position as BTS, who announced on July 29 that they would not submit music for the 2027 Grammys. All seven BTS members shared a statement saying they wanted music to be heard and loved without being divided by region or language. Their decision meant that their March comeback album Arirang and its U.S. No. 1 single “Swim” would not compete in any category, including Album, Record or Song of the Year.
The Recording Academy announced Best Asian Pop Music Performance on June 16 as one of several new categories for the 2027 ceremony. The award is designed for pop performances originating from or widely recognized in Asian markets, including K-pop, J-pop and C-pop, provided the recording makes meaningful use of at least one Asian language. Fully English-language recordings are excluded.
Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said the organization reached its decision after listening sessions involving figures from K-pop, J-pop, C-pop and Indian music. While acknowledging that the category would not satisfy everyone, Mason said the Academy had heard enough support for it to move forward. Nominees are scheduled to be announced after the November 16 entry deadline.
Stray Kids had several potential recordings eligible for consideration. Their November 2025 mixtape Do It topped the Billboard 200 and produced the Hot 100-charting “Do It,” while “Divine” also arrived during the Grammy eligibility period. The group’s March 25, 2026 anniversary single “Stay,” a Korean-language song connected directly to their fandom, was another possible entry.
This & That also fell inside the eligibility window, having been released on August 7, with its title track reaching the Billboard Hot 100. The album arrived close to the August 21 online entry deadline, however, leaving a relatively short period for voters to engage with the project before submissions closed.
The eligibility period for the 69th Grammys ran from August 31, 2025, through August 28, 2026. That means August 2025’s Karma and its lead single “Ceremony” were outside the window, while several subsequent Stray Kids releases could have been considered in both the new Asian pop category and broader Grammy fields.
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