Group BTS has once again proven their global presence by winning 'Artist of the Year,' the grand prize equivalent, at the American Music Awards (AMAs), one of the top three music awards in the United States.
BTS won 'Artist of the Year' at the '2026 American Music Awards (AMAs)' held on the 25th (local time) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, USA. This marks their first time winning the award in five years, since 2021.
On this day, BTS was called as the winner of the trophy after competing against world-renowned artists such as Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars, Kendrick Lamar, and Lady Gaga.
Even before the winner was announced, the audience filling the venue showed a passionate response, chanting "BTS." The members took the stage to express their gratitude to the fans and share their thoughts looking back on the past.
RM said, "It is an honor to receive this award once again. It is even more meaningful because we are receiving such a special reward after all members completed our military service," adding, "We are especially grateful because this is an award voted for directly by our fans."
J-HOPE then greeted, "To ARMY all over the world, thank you so much for the past 13 years," while JIMIN expressed his affection in Korean, saying, "Thank you so much and I love you, ARMY, who always support and love us."
In particular, BTS opened up about their honest feelings during their acceptance speech, mentioning their new song 'SWIM.' The members shared, "We felt a lot of pressure when making this album. We kept worrying about what kind of music feels most like us right now," but added, "The only thing we believed in until the end was that we had to keep challenging ourselves and moving forward." They continued, "We send our love and support to everyone who keeps moving forward, as if swimming, no matter the situation. Let's keep swimming."
On this day, BTS also won the 'Song of the Summer' category with 'SWIM,' taking home two awards in total.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)