Stray Kids will not submit their works to the 69th Grammy Awards, to be held in 2027. With Stray Kids dropping out of the award competition following BTS, attention is once again turning to the controversy surrounding the Grammy's newly established 'Asian Pop' category.

■ JYP Confirms Non-Submission... Reasons and Background Undisclosed

Their agency, JYP Entertainment, confirmed that Stray Kids did not submit works for this year's Grammys. However, the specific reasons and any connection to the new category were not disclosed. Therefore, it is difficult to conclude that this non-submission constitutes an official boycott of the category or a refusal to attend the ceremony.

Earlier, in July, BTS announced that they would not submit their music for consideration in next year's Grammy judging. At the time, they conveyed their wish to be evaluated on the music itself rather than by regional or linguistic categories. As the background of Stray Kids' decision has not been made public, caution is needed in interpreting it as a refusal to submit for the same reasons as BTS.

■ Center of the Controversy: New 'Best Asian Pop Music Performance' Category

At the center of the controversy is the 'Best Asian Pop Music Performance' category newly established by the Recording Academy, which organizes the Grammys. In June, the Academy announced it was introducing the category to recognize outstanding performances in Asian pop music, including K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop. The 69th ceremony will take place on February 7, 2027.

The new category has drawn both support for expanding award opportunities for Asian music and concerns about separately classifying music from a specific region.

However, the creation of the category itself should not be interpreted as a measure stripping K-pop artists of eligibility for major general-category nominations. According to official criteria, the category requires that at least one Asian language be meaningfully used in the song. Songs sung only in English cannot be submitted to this category, but they may still be eligible in other appropriate categories. The eligibility criteria are also based on musical style, not the singer's nationality or ethnicity.

■ Grammys vs. Netizen Awards: What's the Difference?

Grammy submissions and the nature of the Netizen Awards are clearly different. While the Grammys involve submissions from artists and judging by music industry experts, the Netizen Awards and Globe Netizen Awards differ in that fan participation directly influences ranking trends.

As a result, attention surrounding Stray Kids has split in two directions. They are out of the competition at the 69th Grammys due to not submitting works, but in fan-driven awards, the possibility of ranking changes remains open.

■ 19th in the Netizen Awards... First Votes Awaited in the Globe Awards

Stray Kids currently sits in 19th place in the October Netizen Awards' Best Group category, continuing their run.

In the Globe Netizen Awards, which began beta voting this month, Stray Kids has yet to receive any votes. However, as the beta voting is still in its early stages, it is difficult to predict future rankings based solely on current vote counts. The fact that no first vote has been cast yet also means, conversely, that there remains room for a new ranking trend to be shaped by fan participation.

The Globe Netizen Awards is meaningful in that it allows observation of the choices and participation trends of a broader global fanbase, beyond Korea-centered fandom. In particular, for K-pop groups with global fandoms and extensive overseas fanbases like Stray Kids, it can serve as another stage to see how global fan support manifests in actual award rankings.

Attention is focused on what kind of ranking trend Stray Kids' global fanbase, which has expanded its activities around the world, will show on this newly launched stage.

[This article was written with AI assistance based on public materials and verified reports, for informational purposes. Related details may change depending on follow-up announcements from the agency and the award organizers.]