BTS Wins Song of the Year at 2026 MTV VMAs

K-POP group BTS swept three categories at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, including the night's top honor, Song of the Year. The wins mark a major milestone in the group's first full-group promotional run since completing their military service.

The 2026 MTV VMAs took place on Sept. 27 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. BTS won Song of the Year, Best Group, and Best K-POP. The group did not attend the ceremony due to their ongoing world tour.

Song of the Year went to "SWIM," the title track from BTS's fifth studio album, "ARIRANG." The song beat out Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter's "Bring Your Love," PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson's "Stateside," and RAYE's "Where Is My Husband!"

The group also picked up Best Group and Best K-POP. Other nominees across those categories included BLACKPINK, LE SSERAFIM, KATSEYE, and CORTIS.

The wins arrives roughly three years after BTS last performed as a full group, following a hiatus for members' mandatory military service. Their return with a new full-group album has now delivered three MTV VMAs, including the show's biggest prize, a sign that the group's global reach remains intact.

BTS is currently on their world tour, "ARIRANG." The South American leg kicks off on Oct. 2 and 3 in Bogotá, followed by stops in Lima, Santiago, Buenos Aires, and São Paulo.

The tour then moves through Asia with dates in Kaohsiung, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Jakarta. Next year, the group is set to play Melbourne, Sydney, Hong Kong, and Bulacan.