Stray Kids have withdrawn from the Grammys, the BBC reports. They are the second major K-pop act to do so, after BTS, and both moves are in protest at a new best Asian pop award. The dispute is over whether such a category recognises artists or sets them apart.
Key takeaways
- The BBC reports that Stray Kids have withdrawn from the Grammys over a new best Asian pop award.
- Stray Kids are the second major act to step back over the category, after BTS.
- The objection is to the new award, not to the Grammys as a whole.
- Grammy categories have been criticised before for grouping artists by region or background rather than by the music itself.
- Whether more acts withdraw, and how the Recording Academy responds, will shape what happens to the category.
What is happening with the Grammys and K-pop?
Two of the best-known groups in K-pop have pulled out of the Grammy Awards. The BBC reports that Stray Kids are the latest, following BTS, and that both acted because of a newly introduced award for best Asian pop.
The available reporting leaves several details unclear. It is not known exactly what form the withdrawal takes. A withdrawal could mean not submitting recordings for consideration, declining a nomination, staying away from the ceremony, or a mix of these. It is also not clear whether the groups are withdrawing only from the new category or from every category. The BBC calls the moves a boycott, which suggests a deliberate protest rather than a scheduling or administrative decision.
Why is this in the news now?
The story is news because the Grammys have announced a new award and two high-profile acts have rejected it. A single act stepping back could look like a one-off. A second major group doing the same suggests a pattern, and the coverage reflects that.
New categories are normally a routine part of how the Grammys change over time. This one has drawn an unusually strong reaction from some of the artists it seems intended to recognise. That gap between the award’s apparent purpose and its reception is what has turned an administrative change into a cultural story.
What background does a newcomer need?
The Grammy Awards are run by the Recording Academy, a US organisation of music professionals. Its members vote on the winners. The awards are split into many categories, grouped into broader fields such as general, pop, rock, R&B and rap. The most prominent are the general field awards, such as album of the year and record of the year, which are open to recordings of any genre.
K-pop is South Korean popular music. It has built a very large international audience, and its leading groups sell out arenas and top streaming charts well beyond Korea. BTS are widely seen as the act that did most to break K-pop in the United States. They have received Grammy nominations in the pop field in the past, but they have not won, and many fans saw that as a snub. Stray Kids are another major group with a large global following.
The Recording Academy has faced arguments about category names before. In 2020 it renamed best world music album as best global music album, after criticism that “world music” was a vague label for music from outside the Anglo-American mainstream. Around the same time it stopped using the word “urban” in a category name, after artists and commentators said the term was used to put Black musicians in a separate box. The Latin music industry has its own ceremony, the Latin Grammys, run by a separate Latin Recording Academy.
That history explains why a category defined by “Asian” identity, rather than by a musical style, was always likely to be debated.
Who is affected and how?
The groups themselves come first. By withdrawing, they give up the chance of a Grammy, still one of the most visible honours in the music industry. They have decided the principle outweighs that chance.
Other Asian artists are also affected, even if they never planned to protest. If the most prominent acts in the region stay away, the category may be judged by who is missing rather than by who wins. Any artist who stays in is likely to be asked about the boycott, and their decision may be read as taking a side.
The Recording Academy is affected too. A new award is supposed to widen recognition. If the artists it targets reject it, the category becomes a source of criticism instead. The academy’s handling of this will be watched as a test of how it responds to concerns from international artists.
Fans are a further group. K-pop fandoms are highly organised and very active online, and they have long followed how their favourite acts are treated at US awards. A boycott gives them a clear cause, and it may affect how they view the ceremony.
Where do informed people disagree?
The basic disagreement is over separate categories in general, and it goes well beyond this case.
One view is that a dedicated award guarantees recognition. A main pop category is crowded and dominated by English-language acts. Supporters of separate categories argue that a ring-fenced award means at least one artist from a given group is honoured each year, raises the profile of an under-recognised scene, and brings in voters and audiences who might otherwise pay little attention.
The other view is that such categories sideline the artists they claim to celebrate. If Asian pop acts have their own award, critics argue, voters may feel less need to consider them in the main pop field or in the general categories. On this reading, a separate award works as a ceiling rather than a floor. Critics also note that “Asian pop” is not a single genre. It covers music from many countries, languages and traditions, grouped together by geography and identity rather than by sound. That is the same complaint made against “world music” and “urban”.
It is not known from the available reporting which of these arguments, if any, Stray Kids or BTS have given as their reason. The BBC reports that the groups withdrew over the award. Their exact stated reasons are not set out in the material available here, so their position should not be assumed to match either side exactly.
What are the practical implications?
In the short term, the new category starts its life without two of the biggest names it might have attracted. That affects its credibility with audiences and with the industry, whatever the quality of the artists who do take part.
For the Grammys more broadly, the episode raises questions about how new categories are planned and consulted on. Organisations that create identity-based awards increasingly face scrutiny over whether the communities concerned were asked first, and whether the award reflects how those artists see their own work.
For the music industry, the boycott shows that leading international acts are willing to turn down a major US honour. That suggests some artists no longer see Grammy recognition as essential to their careers, especially when they already have large global audiences.
What should people watch next?
There are three things to watch. The first is whether other Asian acts follow the two groups, stay neutral or choose to take part. The second is how the Recording Academy responds: whether it keeps the award as announced, changes its name or terms, explains its reasoning or consults artists. The third is whether the two groups’ withdrawals extend beyond this one category, and for how long they last.
How the award is eventually judged will depend on the answers. At present, none of these outcomes is known.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Stray Kids withdraw from the Grammys?
The BBC reports that Stray Kids withdrew because of a new Grammy award for best Asian pop. They are the second major act to do so, after BTS. The detailed reasons the group gave are not set out in the material available here, so it is not confirmed which objections to the category they hold. The move is described as a boycott, which suggests a deliberate protest rather than a practical or scheduling decision.
Did BTS boycott the Grammys?
Yes. The BBC reports that BTS withdrew from the Grammys over the new best Asian pop award, and that Stray Kids later did the same, making them the second major act to pull out. Exactly what form BTS’s withdrawal takes, such as not submitting music or not attending, is not clear from the available reporting. BTS have received Grammy nominations in the past without winning.
What is the best Asian pop Grammy?
It is a new award category at the Grammys, presented by the Recording Academy in the United States. Full details, such as which recordings are eligible, how they are judged and when it will first be presented, are not set out in the reporting available here. The category has proved controversial because it is defined by region and identity rather than by a particular musical style.
Why are some people against separate Grammy categories?
Critics argue that separate categories can sideline artists rather than celebrate them. If a group of artists has its own award, voters may be less likely to consider them for the main pop or general categories. Critics also say labels such as “Asian pop” lump together many countries, languages and styles. Similar objections led the Recording Academy to rename its world music category and stop using the word “urban” in a category name in 2020.
Why do some people support an Asian pop category?
Supporters argue that a dedicated category guarantees recognition for artists who are often overlooked in crowded main categories dominated by English-language music. A ring-fenced award means at least one artist is honoured each year, and it can raise the profile of a scene among voters and audiences. This reasoning is often given for separate awards in other areas, such as global music, as a way of widening who receives recognition.
Will other K-pop groups boycott the Grammys?
It is not known. So far the BBC reports two major acts, BTS and Stray Kids, withdrawing over the new best Asian pop award. Whether other K-pop or wider Asian pop artists follow them, stay neutral or choose to take part will become clearer over time. The Recording Academy’s response, including any change to the category, may also influence what other artists decide.
Sources and further reading
- BBC News arts coverage, which reported the Stray Kids and BTS withdrawals over the new category
- Recording Academy official publications on Grammy categories, rules and eligibility
- Past reporting on the 2020 changes to Grammy category names, including the renaming of world music and the removal of “urban”
- Music industry and cultural analysis of K-pop’s international growth and its reception at US award shows
Surfaced from the rss:bbc_arts signal “Grammy category boycott”. AI-assisted draft, editorially reviewed.
