BTS Wins Artist of the Year at 2026 AMAs, Five Years After Historic First

BTS swept the 2026 American Music Awards with three wins, including the show's top prize. The group took home Artist of the Year at the ceremony held on May 25 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

It is the second time BTS has won the AMAs' top honor. The group first claimed Artist of the Year in 2021 with the digital single "Butter," becoming the first Asian act to do so. This year's win marks the group's return to the top of the AMAs five years later.

Shortly after the ceremony, the members went live on the fan platform Weverse to share the moment with fans. "Our ARMY won an award," they said, crediting the fandom by name. They explained that they picked up three trophies in total, though one was handed out before the televised broadcast. The wins were Favorite K-POP Male Group, Song of the Summer, and Artist of the Year.

BTS won Song of the Summer with "SWIM," the title track of their fifth studio album, "Arirang." RM spoke about the song during the stream. "I want to talk about 'SWIM,'" he said. "It will show its true value over time," J-Hope added that the group's summer would be a busy one. "Our summer this year is going to be hot. All the places we're going to perform are in summer regions," he said.

Leader RM directed his thanks to the fans. "This award was decided one hundred percent by votes. It's thanks to ARMY," he said. "I heard ARMY were on edge until the announcement. ARMY's name should be on this trophy. ARMY and BTS."

The group is currently meeting fans around the world on tour. BTS performed at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on May 23 and 24, and will continue with two more shows at the same venue on May 27 and 28.