The Recording Academy says its new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category will move forward at the 2027 Grammys despite objections from some of the artists it was designed to recognize. BTS declined to submit its comeback album Arirang, saying the group wanted its music heard “for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language,” while Stray Kids also allowed the August 21 submission deadline to pass without entering any music. Variety notes that Stray Kids’ agency confirmed the decision but did not explicitly say the Asian Pop category caused it, so describing both acts as part of a formal boycott would overstate what is confirmed. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said the organization heard both criticism and strong support during industry listening sessions and decided to keep the category for 2027. The argument now centers on whether creating a dedicated category expands recognition or gives the industry another way to keep globally successful Asian artists outside the Grammys’ general-field awards. Variety reported on the Academy’s decision and BTS’s objection here.