Boy group BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan) has definitively announced their ‘return of the kings’.
On the 25th (local time), the ‘American Music Awards’ (hereinafter ‘AMA’) were held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, USA. BTS took home the grand prize, ‘Artist of the Year’, the show’s most prestigious award.
This marks BTS’s second time being named ‘Artist of the Year’, having previously won in 2021. Beyond this major honor, the group also secured awards in all other nominated categories, including ‘Song of the Summer’ and ‘Best Male K-Pop Artist’, achieving an impressive triple crown.
BTS’s ‘Artist of the Year’ victory holds even greater significance as they triumphed over a formidable lineup of competitors. The category also featured global superstars such as Bad Bunny, Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift, and Harry Styles.
BTS expressed their gratitude, stating, “It is an honor to receive this precious award once again. We extend our greatest thanks to ARMY (fandom name) who have stayed by our side for the past 13 years. Thank you for loving all our songs, including ‘ARIRANG’, and for passionately joining us throughout the tour. And we are truly happy to be back at the ‘AMA’.” They concluded in Korean, “Thank you and we love you, ARMY, for your support and love.”
The title track ‘SWIM’ from their 5th full-length album, ‘ARIRANG’, was crowned ‘Song of the Summer’. The seven members shared a profound message: “We pondered what ‘our’ most authentic music was at this moment. The only thing we believed in was to keep challenging ourselves and moving forward. We send love and support to everyone who keeps swimming forward in any situation. Let’s keep swimming.” They also extended their gratitude to Chairman Bang Si-hyuk, who oversaw the overall production of the new album, as well as the leadership and staff of Big Hit Music. Furthermore, their inclusion on the official awards list announced via the ceremony’s social media for ‘Best Male K-Pop Artist’ completed their impressive triple-award sweep.
The ‘AMA’ awards ceremony itself kicked off with BTS. The opening performance featured ‘Hooligan’, a track from ‘ARIRANG’, filmed during their ongoing world tour at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, which spans four days (the 23rd, 24th, 27th, and 28th). This spectacular performance, featuring over 60,000 cheering fans, mass singalongs, and numerous dancers, left a powerful impression on ‘AMA’ viewers worldwide.
Earlier in the evening, BTS made their first appearance on stage as presenters for the ‘Best Female R&B Artist’ category. Show host Queen Latifah introduced them, declaring, “They are not just a big group, but a global group. No further explanation is needed,” before calling out the seven members, who were met with thunderous applause from the audience. BTS’s immense presence also shone brightly on the red carpet held prior to the main event, where various artists mentioned BTS as the act they most wished to see, or described their own peak careers by saying, “It was like BTS this year.”
This year’s ‘AMA’ nominees were chosen based on a comprehensive evaluation of key metrics and popular influence. Data was compiled by Billboard and music and entertainment data aggregator Luminate, covering streaming figures, album and song sales, radio airplay, and tour revenue from March 21, 2025, to March 26, 2026. BTS earned their nominations with their 5th full-length album, released on March 20 this year, showcasing their immense power by securing nominations in multiple categories with only six days of eligibility data.
Making a full group comeback after approximately 3 years and 9 months, BTS is writing new history with their album ‘ARIRANG’ and the ‘BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG”. The new album ‘ARIRANG’ debuted at No. 1 on the US Billboard main album chart ‘Billboard 200′ and maintained the top position for three consecutive weeks. This achievement marks the first time a group album has held the No. 1 spot on that chart for three weeks since Mumford & Sons’ ‘Babel’, released in 2012. The title track ‘SWIM’ went straight to No. 1 on the Billboard main song chart ‘Hot 100’ and remained in the ‘Top 10’ for four consecutive weeks. Their world tour continues to boast perfect sold-out shows in Goyang, Tokyo, North America, and Europe.
