K-pop's Biggest Agencies Skip New Asian Pop Grammy as Other Acts Enter the Race

A new Grammy opens without many of K-pop's biggest names

The Grammy Awards' first best Asian pop music performance category has drawn 116 submissions, but reportedly none from artists represented by HYBE, SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment or YG Entertainment. The award will debut on February 7, 2027, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, with several of the Korean industry's most globally visible acts absent from its inaugural contest.

Four Korean acts have been identified as entrants: IVE, KiiiKiii, FIFTY FIFTY and singer Park Hyo-shin. Japanese artists including Hikaru Utada, Kenshi Yonezu and YOASOBI are also reported to have submitted recordings, alongside the Philippines' SB19 and Chinese language star Jay Chou.

The divide follows BTS' July 29 decision to withhold its music from every Grammy category over concerns about separating music by region or language. JYP subsequently confirmed that Stray Kids had also submitted nothing for the awards, although it gave no reason.

For the Recording Academy, the new prize is a way to recognize Asian pop's growing reach. For its critics, defining an award through Asian markets and languages risks giving globally popular artists a separate place rather than greater recognition across the Grammys.

Artists are making different choices within that disagreement. HYBE has said BTS' decision was not a boycott across the company, while other performers connected to the four major agencies reportedly entered established Grammy categories. The emerging contest therefore has three groups: artists staying out entirely, artists entering other fields, and artists seeking the new Asian pop award.

What the four agencies reportedly skipped

The absence of entries from the four major companies became public in mid October. Acts identified as missing from the Asian pop category include BLACKPINK, TWICE, Aespa and Hearts2Hearts, alongside BTS and Stray Kids. HYBE labels Belift Lab, ADOR and Source Music were also reported to have no entries in the category.

HYBE's explanation gives an important detail about how those decisions were made. The company said its other artists would choose independently under its system of multiple labels. A decision by BTS and its label, BigHit Music, therefore did not set a common policy for every HYBE artist.

The Recording Academy has not publicly disclosed a complete list of entrants. The wider agency picture and individual song entries remain based on reported submission information, while BTS' announcement and JYP's confirmation establish those two groups' decisions directly.

Music critic Lim Hee-yun said the absence of the two groups would affect perceptions of the first award, while leaving room for participating artists to build its reputation.

The category can still establish credibility through the artists who participate, but when one of the most internationally recognized Asian acts chooses not to compete because it disagrees with the premise of the category, that becomes part of the context surrounding the award.

What the Asian pop rules actually require

The Recording Academy announced the category on June 16 as one of five additions for the 2027 awards. Its definition covers contemporary popular music originating from, or widely recognized within, Asian markets, including K-pop, J-pop and C-pop.

Eligibility depends on musical style and meaningful use of at least one Asian language. A song entirely in an Asian language can qualify. A song mixing languages can also qualify when the Asian language plays a substantial role, rather than appearing only in isolated words or brief phrases.

Recordings performed entirely in English belong in other appropriate categories. The performer's ethnicity or nationality does not determine eligibility. In practical terms, a Korean singer performing entirely in English would need to pursue another performance category, while an eligible song's musical style and language would guide its placement here.

The rules also require a choice for each recording. A song entered for best Asian pop music performance cannot also compete for best pop duo/group performance or another performance award. An artist can enter different recordings in different performance categories.

The General Field remains open to artists across genres. It includes album, record and song of the year, as well as best new artist. The debate therefore concerns both a concrete choice between performance categories and the broader question of where voters will recognize Asian performers.

Why BTS and Stray Kids matter to the dispute

BTS announced its withdrawal through messages from all seven members on July 29. The decision covered its music across the awards, including its fifth studio album, ARIRANG, released in March.

The group's members explained their objection in a message to fans:

I hope that music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language.

BTS has received five Grammy nominations without a win. Its decision brought the category's design into a wider argument about how the awards recognize Korean music after years of international commercial success.

JYP confirmed Stray Kids' absence on October 2, after the Academy announced that it would retain the category. The group had not submitted music before the August 21 deadline. JYP did not connect that decision explicitly to the Asian pop dispute.

Stray Kids has reached number one on the Billboard 200 nine times, placing it second only to the Beatles among groups. All eight members also hold Recording Academy voting membership, giving them a role in the institution whose awards they are sitting out.

Hwang Hyun-jin, a Stray Kids singer, had described the group's priorities at an August press conference:

We have never once set award results or records as our goal.

He added:

Our top priority is for our fans to be happy and satisfied.

Why the Academy decided to keep the award

The Recording Academy confirmed on October 1 that the category would proceed after discussions involving its board of trustees, awards and nominations committee, and members of Asian music communities. Those conversations included people working in Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Indian music.

A September 3 listening session brought together more than 80 artists, executives, other industry participants and Academy representatives. Chinese singer Miist, who attended, said participants largely wanted to help the category develop.

Miist described the mood of that meeting:

We all understand this new category needs to evolve, but everybody mostly had the attitude of, 'We're here to help,'

Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. acknowledged opposition when explaining the decision to continue. He said discussions had also allowed the organization to address misunderstandings about the category.

But by far, the loudest feedback we heard was from people who were enthusiastic supporters of the category, fellow music creators expressing their encouragement for keeping it.

The Academy described the number of submissions as robust and said category rules would remain subject to its annual review. Its decision keeps the original framework in place for the first awards cycle while allowing later changes.

Miist has suggested making language more explicit in the category's name. That proposal addresses a central tension in its design: the title refers broadly to Asian pop, while the eligibility rules also draw a firm boundary around how languages are used in a recording.

Who entered, and how the numbers compare

The four reported Korean entries are IVE's "BANG BANG," KiiiKiii's "404 (New Era)," FIFTY FIFTY's "STARSTRUCK" and Park Hyo-shin's "AE." Their participation gives Korean artists a presence in the contest despite the absence of the largest agencies.

Japan's reported submissions span several prominent performers: Hikaru Utada, King Gnu, Hitsujibungaku, Kenshi Yonezu, YOASOBI, AKB48, Ado and Sakanaction. Named recordings include Yonezu's "Iris Out," YOASOBI's "Orion," King Gnu's "AIZO" and Ado's "Vivarium."

SB19 reportedly entered "VISA," while Jay Chou entered "Children of the Sun." The field taking shape extends beyond the Korean music industry whose objections have dominated much of the debate.

The reported 116 submissions compare with 519 for best Latin song, another new category. Asian pop's total is about 22% of the Latin song total, or a little more than one entry for every four in that category. The two prizes recognize different work: Asian pop rewards performance, while Latin song rewards songwriting.

Korean music critic Im Jin-mo said the new award could widen opportunities for Asian performers. He also said the small Korean entry pool could make a Korean victory difficult, while a nomination and win would provide a chance to display the country's musical strength.

K-pop is still pursuing other Grammy prizes

Entries in established fields show how varied the industry's approach has become. ENHYPEN reportedly submitted "Bloody Paradise" for best pop duo/group performance, while KATSEYE entered "Animal." Both acts are connected to HYBE.

Other reported entries in that category include Jisoo and Zayn's "EYES CLOSED," NMIXX and Anderson .Paak's "Caution," Lisa's "Goals" with Anitta and Rema, and Jennie's "Dracula" with Tame Impala.

KATSEYE, Park Hyo-shin, FIFTY FIFTY and ATEEZ also reportedly entered best pop vocal album. ILLIT and KATSEYE pursued best dance pop recording, while Jennie submitted "Less than a Lover" for best pop solo performance.

KATSEYE reportedly entered record, album and song of the year as well, seeking further General Field recognition after its previous best new artist nomination.

ATEEZ leader Kim Hong-joong expressed the tension behind those choices in comments on September 26. He described a Grammy as a dream for himself and his group, while saying he personally sympathized with BTS and believed music had no boundary. ATEEZ subsequently appeared among the reported entrants in the album field, rather than Asian pop.

For artists making those choices, the submission stage comes before any nomination. Academy members first vote to select nominees, then vote again to choose winners. Fans do not decide the results through a public ballot.

Smaller artists face a different calculation

Some online fan communities have directed criticism at artists reportedly entering the Asian pop category. Others argue that performers still building international recognition have practical reasons to seek a nomination.

Kim Hee-yon, an assistant professor at Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, said BTS' established global reach places it in a different position from less prominent performers.

A newer or smaller K-pop artist may still benefit enormously from a Grammy award.

Kim said the controversy had made an entry choice carry another meaning. Instead of reflecting only whether a song fits a category or has a chance to win, participation may now be read as an artist's position on the award itself.

Sean Miyashiro, founder and CEO of Asian music company 88rising, has argued that a dedicated category can coexist with recognition elsewhere.

I understand what BTS is saying, but I don't think that having a category, much like everybody else has a category for their region of the world, deters us from achieving greatness.

The Grammy record helps explain both positions. BTS has yet to win, while "Golden" from Kpop Demon Hunters won best song written for visual media in 2026. Rosé's "APT." and "Golden" also reached major categories that year without winning those prizes. Bad Bunny's Debí Tirar Más Fotos became the first album in Spanish to win album of the year, offering a concrete example of recognition beyond a language specific category.

The dates that will shape the first contest

The next decisive step is the nominations announcement on November 16, 2026, according to the Academy's timetable. December 10 has also been reported as the nominations date; the detailed voting schedule places the start of final voting on that day.

The dispute and awards process have unfolded across several months:

• June 16, 2026: The Academy announces best Asian pop music performance among five new categories.
• July 29: BTS announces it will not submit music for the 2027 Grammys.
• August 21: Online entries close.
• September 3: More than 80 participants join an Asian music listening session.
• October 1: The Academy confirms the category will proceed.
• October 2: JYP confirms Stray Kids did not submit.
• October 12 to 22: Members vote in the first round.
• November 16: Nominees are scheduled to be announced.
• December 10 to January 7, 2027: Final voting takes place.
• February 7, 2027: The 69th Grammy Awards take place in Los Angeles.

The nominations will give the category its first public shortlist. Its opening year will bring together artists seeking a new opportunity while several of Asian pop's best known performers pursue other categories or stay outside the awards entirely.

Key Points

• Artists from HYBE, SM, JYP and YG reportedly submitted nothing to the new Asian pop category.
• BTS withheld its music from all categories; Stray Kids also submitted nothing, without giving a reason.
• HYBE said its artists were making independent decisions rather than following a company boycott.
• IVE, KiiiKiii, FIFTY FIFTY and Park Hyo-shin are the four reported Korean entrants.
• The category reportedly received 116 submissions, compared with 519 for best Latin song.
• Asian pop entrants can still pursue General Field awards, while each recording can enter only one performance category.
• Nominations are scheduled for November 16, with the ceremony on February 7, 2027.