K-pop group Stray Kids has decided to boycott the 69th Grammy Awards, following in the footsteps of BTS, who previously announced they would not submit music for consideration. This decision was confirmed by their agency, JYP Entertainment, shortly after the Recording Academy revealed its new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category.
While Stray Kids were seen as strong contenders for this award—having topped the Billboard 200 nine times—criticism has emerged regarding the classification of Asian pop music. Many argue that grouping K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop in a separate category is discriminatory and may limit Asian artists’ presence in broader award categories.
The Recording Academy has stated that the creation of the new category aims to recognize contemporary Asian popular music. However, critics feel it risks sidelining these artists rather than acknowledging their global success. Following BTS’s boycott, the Academy expressed openness to revising the category but ultimately decided to proceed, citing more support than opposition.
As Stray Kids joins BTS in the boycott, attention now shifts to other K-pop artists and their potential stances on the issue, with figures like Hongjoong from ATEEZ expressing sympathy for BTS’s perspective.
