BTS Lands MTV VMAs Nod for Song of the Year With 'SWIM'

BTS has landed a nomination in one of the biggest categories at this year's MTV Video Music Awards. The group's track "SWIM" is up for Song of the Year at the 2026 MTV VMAs.

The nominations were announced on August 18 local time. "SWIM" is the title track from BTS's fifth studio album, "ARIRANG." Other nominees in the Song of the Year category include Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter's "Bring Your Love," Pinkpantheress and Zara Larsson's "Stateside," and Leigh-Anne's "WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!"

The nod marks BTS's second time in the Song of the Year race. In 2021, the group became the first Korean act nominated in the category with "Dynamite."

"SWIM," released on March 20, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 (dated April 4) and stayed on the chart for 20 straight weeks. In the U.K., the song reached No. 2 on the Official Singles Top 100, a new career high for the group.

BTS also picked up a Best K-Pop nomination. The group won that category three years in a row, from 2019 through 2021. Member j-hope is nominated in the same category as a featured artist on LE SSERAFIM's "SPAGHETTI (feat. j-hope of BTS)."

BTS has a long history at the show. The group took home two trophies at the 2019 MTV VMAs, four in 2020, and three in 2021. They won Group of the Year in 2022. In 2023, member Jung Kook won Song of the Summer for his solo single "Seven (feat. Latto)."

The 2026 MTV VMAs will be held on September 27.

"ARIRANG" has also been drawing attention outside the awards circuit. The album recently landed on Vogue's best albums of the year list. "BTS have returned to their musical roots in rap and hip-hop," the magazine wrote. "Through their past work, they learned how to use their distinctive individual voices, and they built on that to complete even more advanced music. 'ARIRANG' is the most convincing record of the road the group has walked and the direction they are heading next."