The Recording Academy is going ahead with its new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category, even after BTS and Stray Kids said they won't take part. So who could land a spot? Nominees are due to be announced Nov. 16, with the first award presented Feb. 7, 2027, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Who can be nominated: Songs must make meaningful use of at least one Asian language, so Blackpink's all-English Deadline songs don't qualify. BTS's English-language hit "Swim" would also be ineligible here.
Names being mentioned
- Kenshi Yonezu, "Iris Out": It peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Global 200, the highest peak for a Japanese-language song, and spent 14 weeks atop the Japan Hot 100. His duet "Jane Doe" with Hikaru Utada is another option.
- Miist and Narada Michael Walden: Their "It's Too Late To Love You (Chinese & English Edition)" has been announced as a submission.
- SB19, "Visa": The Filipino group became the first from the Philippines to play Lollapalooza this summer.
- Cortis, "RedRed": The song earned a VMA nomination for Best K-Pop and has more than 240 million streams.
- Others in the conversation: Bini, Le Sserafim, Yoasobi and Illit are also mentioned, and music from KPop Demon Hunters beyond "Golden" could be eligible. Aespa is another name that keeps coming up.
Important: These are predictions from Billboard and Gold Derby, not an official list, and artists' submissions aren't public.
The category sits in the Pop and Dance/Electronic field, which means general pop voters, not a K-pop-specific panel, will decide it.
Music has always carried across languages and borders, and many churches around the world sing in Korean, Tagalog, Mandarin, and more. Fans will be watching Nov. 16 to see who makes the list.
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