BTS made a powerful return at the 2026 American Music Awards, winning Artist of the Year in their first AMAs appearance since completing military service, while also taking home two more awards and performing live in Las Vegas.
Image Source: Instagram
The 2026 American Music Awards ceremony took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 25, local time. For BTS, the night carried special weight. The group had been on a hiatus for military service, and this win marked the first time they claimed the Artist of the Year prize since returning. Their direct participation at the AMAs also marked the first time in approximately five years since 2021.
BTS beat out Bad Bunny, Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Kendrick Lamar, Morgan Wallen, and Sabrina Carpenter to win Artist of the Year. The award is entirely fan-voted. That makes the result a direct reflection of the global reach of their fanbase, known as ARMY.
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Busta Rhymes presented the award at the ceremony. All seven members were present to accept it.
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After accepting the award, RM addressed the crowd and their fans directly. “ARMYs, we made it once again. Thank you. It’s an honour to have this precious award,” he said.
He added: “Like the legendary Busta Rhymes said, it’s a fan-voted award, so our biggest thanks and gratitude goes to the ARMYs all over the world.”
Artist of the Year was not the only trophy BTS took home. The group also won Song of the Summer for their track “SWIM” and Best Male K-Pop Artist at the same ceremony.
BTS also performed on the night, taking the stage for a performance of “Hooligan,” a single from their 2026 album ARIRANG.
BTS made their grand return in March this year after completing their mandatory South Korean military service last June. They released their fifth studio album ARIRANG, accompanied by a documentary and a World Tour featuring 82 shows across 34 cities worldwide.
ARIRANG debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, earning the group its seventh chart-topper with 641,000 equivalent album units earned in its first week, according to Luminate. The album spent three consecutive weeks at the top of both the Billboard 200 and Top Album Sales charts.
The AMAs night was part of a larger Las Vegas moment for BTS. All seven members attended the ceremony after completing the second of their four-night sold-out concert run at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
The group is ready to continue with shows on Wednesday, May 27, and Thursday, May 28, before returning to South Korea to prepare for concerts in Busan.
BTS first won at the AMAs in 2018 with the Favorite Social Artist award. They dominated that category for three consecutive years until 2020. In 2019, they also won Tour of the Year. Starting in the same year, they held the top spot in the Favorite Pop Duo or Group category for four straight years until 2022.
In total, BTS has now won 12 American Music Awards as a group and as solo artists. Their 2021 Artist of the Year win was the first time an Asian act had won the fan-voted show’s top honor.
BTS were not the only major winners. Katseye won New Artist of the Year, Sabrina Carpenter took Album of the Year for “Man’s Best Friend,” and the Song of the Year went to the singing voices of HUNTR/X for “Golden.”
Shakira won Tour of the Year for her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour, while PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson picked up Collaboration of the Year for “Stateside.”
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