Stray Kids has chosen not to confirm whether their plans to submit music for consideration at the 69th Grammy Awards next year. During a press conference in Seoul for the release of the group’s 10th EP, THIS & THAT on August 7, 2026, the members were asked several times about their Grammy plans. Instead of discussing possible submissions, they emphasized their music and current projects. JYP Entertainment also declined to give a clear answer when asked whether the group would participate in the Grammy submission process, as per the Korean Herald.
“We’ve never once set out to make an album chasing a particular award or record,” member Seungmin said. “When we talk about the music or performances we love, it doesn’t come from how we’re seen from the outside — it comes from what’s inside us as we build a stage or write lyrics. It’s less about outside expectations around awards and more about capturing the sound and story we want to tell.”
“With this album, too, what we want most is to show and prove that we can do ‘this and that’ — anything and everything. That’s really our biggest goal and dream. Above all, we want our fans to be satisfied and happy,” Hyunjin said.
Submissions for the 69th Grammy Awards opened on July 7, 2026, and are scheduled to close on August 21, 2026. The nominees are expected to be announced on November 16, 2026, while the awards ceremony is scheduled for February 7, 2027. The current interest in Stray Kids’ decision to submit the music at the award show increased after BTS confirmed on July 29, 2026, that they would not submit their album “ARIRANG” for Grammy consideration. The “Dynamite” hitmakers said that they hoped music would be “heard and embraced for what it is, beyond region or language.”
The seven-member group made that decision after the Recording Academy introduced the Best Asian Pop Music Performance category in June 2026, creating discussion about whether the category gives Asian artists more recognition or separates them from major Grammy Award consideration. Numerous media outlets, including Iowa State Daily, the Korean Herald, and Teen Vogue, have criticized the Recording Academy for creating a category that seems to relegate non-white artists to smaller categories in the name of inclusion and visibility. For now, neither Stray Kids nor their company have announced their final decision regarding the awards.
