Stray Kids did not submit music for consideration for next year’s 69th Grammy Awards. According to a BBC report, their agency, JYP Entertainment (JYP엔터테인먼트), confirmed that the group did not submit an entry. The decision became known less than a day after the Recording Academy (레코딩 아카데미) announced plans for a new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category (베스트 아시안 팝 뮤직 퍼포먼스).

The decision not to submit has drawn attention as controversy over the new category coincides with questions about whether major K-pop groups will participate in the Grammys. However, the fact that Stray Kids did not submit music is not enough to establish the group’s specific intent or position on the new category.

Background and context

The Recording Academy is the organization that runs the Grammy Awards. It announced plans for a new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category (베스트 아시안 팝 뮤직 퍼포먼스), which it first announced in June. News that Stray Kids had not submitted music was reported less than a day after the announcement of plans for the category.

According to the article, Stray Kids have been seen as a leading contender for the new category because of their strong position in the global music market. The group has topped the Billboard 200 nine times. The article says that, among groups, this is the second-highest number of times, after the Beatles. It also reports that all eight members are voting members of the Recording Academy.

The article says Stray Kids have decided not to submit music for Grammy consideration, following BTS. However, it does not say when or under what circumstances BTS decided not to submit. The fact that the two groups’ decisions had a similar outcome should be distinguished from the reasons for each decision.

What this news means

The decision shows how debate over the new category could extend beyond its name or classification to questions about which music and artists take part in Grammy consideration. In particular, given reports that Stray Kids were seen as a leading contender for the new category, their decision not to submit could further highlight questions about representation in the new category and who participates in it.

However, because the reason for not submitting has not been confirmed, it should not be described definitively as a protest against the new category or a boycott. The article’s headline uses the term “boycott,” but the specific fact confirmed in the body is that JYP Entertainment said the group did not submit an entry. The outcome—the decision not to submit—and interpretations of the reasons behind it should be kept separate.

For example, if Stray Kids had decided not to submit music in opposition to the new category, the decision could be read as a signal of the debate over representation surrounding the category’s creation. But that is only a hypothetical; the supporting material does not say that the group gave that reason or made any official statement of a particular position.

What is confirmed and what remains unknown

Confirmed facts

  • According to a BBC report, JYP Entertainment confirmed that Stray Kids did not submit music for consideration for the 69th Grammy Awards.
  • The Recording Academy announced plans for a new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category (베스트 아시안 팝 뮤직 퍼포먼스).
  • News that Stray Kids had not submitted music was reported less than a day after the announcement of plans for the category.
  • According to the article, Stray Kids have topped the Billboard 200 nine times, and all eight members are voting members of the Recording Academy.

What remains unknown

  • What specific reason led Stray Kids to decide not to submit music?
  • What is the basis for the Recording Academy’s plans to create an Asian pop category?
  • When and under what circumstances did BTS decide not to submit music?
  • What specific issues have been raised in the controversy surrounding the new category?

What readers should watch for

  • It is worth checking whether Stray Kids or JYP Entertainment later explains the reason for not submitting. No reason is given in the material currently available.
  • Readers can watch for further explanation from the Recording Academy about the purpose of the new category or the basis for creating it. The provided material does not include that rationale.
  • In following subsequent reports, it is important to distinguish the confirmed fact that the group “did not submit music” from the interpretation that this was a “boycott,” and not to draw firm conclusions about BTS’s decision until its timing and circumstances are confirmed.