SEOUL, May 26 (AJP) - BTS launched their comeback awards run in style on Monday, claiming three trophies at the 2026 American Music Awards in Las Vegas — including a second Artist of the Year win — in their first major awards showing since returning from a nearly four-year hiatus.
The haul arrived less than a year after all seven members completed South Korea's mandatory military service, an obligation that effectively suspended full-group activity for roughly two years. Monday's result underscored that the group's global fanbase, known as ARMY, had remained mobilized through the pause.
All seven members attended the ceremony at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, marking their first full-group appearance at the AMAs since 2021.
"ARMYs, we made it once again," leader RM said in his acceptance speech. "Because this award is decided by fan votes, I sincerely express my gratitude and respect to ARMY, who have stood by us for 13 years."
Busta Rhymes presented the top prize, with BTS edging a stacked field that included Bad Bunny, Bruno Mars, Harry Styles, Justin Bieber, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Morgan Wallen and Sabrina Carpenter. Taylor Swift, the most-decorated artist in AMA history with 40 trophies, walked into the night with eight nominations and left empty-handed.
J-Hope thanked fans around the world, while Jimin acknowledged the supporters who had joined the group's ongoing tour, switching to Korean to tell ARMY he was "truly grateful and full of love."
BTS also won Song of the Summer for "Swim," the Billboard Hot 100-topping lead single from their comeback album ARIRANG. The group opened the broadcast with a pre-recorded performance of "Hooligan," filmed at Allegiant Stadium during their world tour. A third honor, Best Male K-Pop Artist, was announced after the main broadcast, bringing the night's tally to three.
Accepting Song of the Summer, the members said they had spent the hiatus reflecting on what kind of music felt most authentic at this stage of their career. "The only thing we believed in was that we had to keep challenging ourselves and moving forward," they said. "To everyone who keeps swimming forward no matter the circumstances — we send our love and support."
The AMA showing arrives amid sustained commercial momentum. ARIRANG debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in March with 641,000 equivalent album units in its first week, according to Luminate, giving BTS its seventh chart-topper on the U.S. albums chart. The record held the top spot for three weeks — the longest run for a group album since Mumford & Sons' Babel in 2012 — pointing to demand that has extended well beyond the initial wave of comeback interest.
The accompanying ARIRANG World Tour has amplified that momentum. Billed as the group's largest tour to date, the run spans 85 dates in 34 cities across 23 countries, having opened at Goyang Stadium on April 9 and completing 18 of its 85 shows to date, all to sold-out crowds, with the tour scheduled to continue through March 2027. The current Las Vegas residency at Allegiant Stadium overlapped with awards week, allowing the group to attend the ceremony mid-tour. Asia and Oceania legs are slated to follow later this year and into early 2027, with stops in Melbourne, Sydney, Kaohsiung, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Jakarta, Hong Kong and Manila.
BTS's 2021 Artist of the Year win had marked the group's arrival as the first Asian act to claim the AMAs' top fan-voted honor. Introducing the band earlier in the evening, host Queen Latifah described them as "not just a big group — a global group," drawing a roar from the arena.
Seven acts tied for the night's lead with three trophies each: Bruno Mars, BTS, Cardi B, KATSEYE, Sabrina Carpenter, HUNTR/X and Sombr.
BTS was not the only Korean-linked act to make an impact. KATSEYE, the group formed through a HYBE–Geffen Records partnership, also took home three awards including New Artist of the Year, adding to a broader showing for K-pop and K-pop-adjacent acts at a ceremony where fan engagement carries unusual weight.
The AMAs rank among the major U.S. music honors, with nominees determined by commercial metrics such as streaming, sales, radio airplay and touring, while winners — including Artist of the Year — are chosen through fan voting, a format that has historically favored acts with highly organized global fanbases. BTS first won at the show in 2018 with Favorite Social Artist, and later expanded their footprint into major categories including Tour of the Year and Favorite Pop Duo or Group.
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