Kpop representation at the 69th Grammy Awards has lost two more major players, with Stray Kids boycotting the awards and Blackpink disqualifying from contention.
After BTS announced their boycott of the global music awards in July, popular Korean boy group Stray Kids followed, with the band’s agency JYP Entertainment stating simply that it did not submit its music for the next edition of the Grammys, which will take place in 2027.
Why the boycotts?
While the exact reason for Stray Kids’ decision in is unclear, the decision came within 24 hours of the Grammys announcing that the Best Asian Pop Music Performance award would be handed out as planned, despite the Recording Academy earlier hinting that it would make changes to the category following widespread backlash.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
The controversy started when the Grammys announced a new category for Asian pop music, including music from China, Japan and South Korea. The move drew widespread criticism, from both artists and fans around the world. Creating a separate category for music from a particular part of the world, they argued, limits its scope and may restrict it from being recognised in other categories.
The BTS members announced their decision on social media, saying, “We hope music can be heard and loved as music itself, rather than being categorized by region or language.”
Other artists have in the past criticised the awards for relegating Black or Latinx music to certain categories, giving the Grammys a pass to recognise only White artists in the majority of the awards.
Blackpink’s ineligibility
Blackpink, one of the most famous Kpop acts globally, could naturally be set to sweep the Asian pop category, if not for two eligibility criteria that exclude them.
The category clearly states that the music submitted must feature at least one Asian language for a meaningful portion of the song. Except for ‘Jump’, all the songs on Blackpink’s latest album ‘Deadline’ are in English, rendering them ineligible. ‘Jump’ was released as a precursor to the album in July, which falls before the eligibility period of song releases for the 69th Grammy awards — August 31, 2025 to August 28, 2026.
What does this mean for the Asian Pop category at the Grammys? While the removal of major acts such as BTS, Blackpink and Stray Kids could allow lesser known groups to gain international recognition, it throws the legitimacy of the category — which is already seen as controversial and discriminatory — into further doubt.
Source: Khaleej Times
