K-Pop Reigns Supreme: BTS Secures Artist of the Year, ‘Golden’ Nabs Song of the Year, and CAT’S EYE Crowned New Artist at the AMAs!
Global sensation BTS (RM, Jin, Jimin, J-Hope, Suga, V, Jungkook) made a triumphant return after five years, securing the top honor at the American Music Awards (AMA), one of the three most prestigious popular music award ceremonies in the United States.
On the 25th at 5 PM (local time), BTS was awarded the highly coveted ‘Artist of the Year’ at the 2026 American Music Awards, held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in the US. This award is considered the grand prize of the ceremony.
During their heartfelt acceptance speech, leader RM and V expressed their deep gratitude, stating, “We extend our heartfelt thanks to all ARMYs. We felt immense pressure while preparing ‘SWIM’ and debated extensively on which song to make our comeback with. However, we held a steadfast belief in the importance of continuously challenging ourselves and moving forward.” They also acknowledged, “We are truly grateful to CEO Bang Si-hyuk.”
RM further emphasized, “ARMY made this happen once again,” adding, “Thank you for granting us the honor of receiving this precious award again after all members have completed their military service. We are eternally grateful to ARMYs worldwide who have been with us for the past 13 years.”
This marks BTS’s first direct participation in the AMA ceremony in approximately five years since their last appearance in 2021. The group aimed for their second overall Grand Prize at this year’s AMA, building on their historic win in 2021. Competing in the ‘Artist of the Year’ category, BTS faced formidable global pop stars including Bad Bunny, Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift, and Lady Gaga among nine other acclaimed artists.
Beyond their grand win, BTS was also nominated in two other significant categories: ‘Best Male K-Pop Artist’ and ‘Song of the Summer.’ They successfully clinched the ‘Song of the Summer’ title with their track ‘SWIM,’ and also took home the award for ‘Best Male K-Pop Artist,’ ultimately achieving a remarkable triple crown at the event.
Nominees for this year’s awards were meticulously chosen based on comprehensive fan activity indicators between March 21, 2025, and March 26, 2026. These metrics, sourced from Billboard and Luminate data, include streaming figures, album and digital song sales, radio airplay, and tour revenue.
BTS has an impressive history at the AMA, accumulating a total of 12 trophies as a group and individual artists. Their first win was for ‘Favorite Social Artist’ in 2018, a category they dominated for three consecutive years until 2020. In 2019, they received ‘Tour of the Year,’ solidifying their immense influence in the global concert scene. That same year, they began a four-year winning streak for ‘Favorite Duo or Group – Pop/Rock,’ lasting until 2022, making them the most awarded artist in that category. In 2021, BTS achieved a triple crown by sweeping ‘Artist of the Year,’ ‘Favorite Duo or Group,’ and ‘Favorite Pop Song.’ In 2022, they were the inaugural recipients of the newly introduced ‘Favorite K-Pop Artist’ award. Furthermore, in 2025, RM continued this legacy by winning a trophy in the same category.
Beyond BTS’s achievements, anticipation for this year’s ceremony was heightened by the nomination of several other prominent K-Pop acts in major AMA categories, including Jennie, Stray Kids, aespa, ATEEZ, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, ENHYPEN, ILLIT, LE SSERAFIM, and CAT’S EYE.
In a historic night for K-Pop, the genre swept three of the main awards. Alongside BTS’s triple crown, the Netflix ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ OST track ‘Golden’ was honored with the ‘Song of the Year’ award. Furthermore, HYBE’s global girl group CAT’S EYE was celebrated with the prestigious ‘Rookie of the Year’ award.
Notably, ‘Golden’ achieved an impressive quadruple crown, winning ‘Best Vocal Performance’ and ‘Best Pop Song’ in addition to its ‘Song of the Year’ triumph. The ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ soundtrack itself was also recognized, receiving the ‘Best Soundtrack’ award.
Rising stars CAT’S EYE also celebrated a triple crown, securing ‘Breakthrough Pop Artist’ and ‘Best Music Video’ awards in addition to their ‘Rookie of the Year’ title.
