K-pop Dominates US AMA... BTS Wins Second Grand Prize with First Stage in 5 Years (Comprehensive)

BTS Wins "Artist of the Year" at AMA
14 Total Awards Since 2018
KATSEYE Named Best New Artist, "K-Pop Demon Hunters" Also Wins Three Major Awards

BTS is giving a speech after receiving the Artist of the Year award at the American Music Awards held in Las Vegas, USA, on the 25th (local time). Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

The group BTS has won the grand prize, 'Artist of the Year,' at the American Music Awards (AMA), one of the three major music award ceremonies in the United States. BTS swept a total of three categories at this year’s ceremony, while the girl group KATSEYE and the theme song for the animated film 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' also dominated key categories.

At the ceremony held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, on the 25th (local time), BTS beat out nine nominees, including Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, and Bad Bunny, to receive the Artist of the Year award. This is their first time winning in five years since 2021, and their second overall. In addition, BTS received the 'Best Male K-Pop Artist' award and the 'Song of the Summer' award for 'SWIM,' a track from their fifth studio album, bringing their total to three awards.

BTS opened the ceremony with a live concert video titled 'Hooligan' and presented the 'Best Female R&B Artist' award to singer SZA. After being announced as the winner of the main award, all members appeared on stage together for the first time in five years since completing their military service.

RM said, "It is an honor for all the members to receive such a meaningful award after completing our military service," and added, "We are grateful to fans from all over the world who voted for us." He confessed, "There was a lot of pressure when making the album, and we intensely deliberated on what kind of music would best represent us."

V, quoting 'SWIM,' expressed, "I send my support to everyone who continues to swim across the ocean of life without being discouraged," and shouted, "Don't stop—keep moving forward." Jimin also said, "Thank you and love you to ARMY (our fandom) who joined us on the concert tour."

Since their first invitation to the ceremony in 2018, BTS has won a total of 14 awards. In 2022, they set a record by winning Favorite Pop Duo or Group for four consecutive years—the most in that category’s history. Their new album 'ARIRANG,' released in March this year, is currently ranked No. 1 on the Billboard Main Albums Chart, and the title track 'SWIM' is No. 1 on the Billboard Main Singles Chart. The next challenge is whether they will win at the Grammy Awards, an expert-voted ceremony to be held early next year.

Cats Eye won three awards, including Rookie of the Year, at the American Music Awards held in Las Vegas, USA, on the 25th (local time). Photo by AFP Yonhap News

KATSEYE, a girl group launched through collaboration between Korean entertainment company HYBE and U.S.-based Geffen Records, won three awards, including 'New Artist of the Year.' They also won in the newly established 'Breakthrough Pop Artist' and 'Best Music Video' categories, achieving a triple crown.

During the celebration stage, KATSEYE performed 'PINKY UP.' Sophia said, "Thank you to BTS for inspiring us to showcase our culture to the world." Korean member Yoonchae delivered her remarks in Korean, saying, "I am grateful to share this moment with you."

The theme song 'Golden' from the Netflix animated movie 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' won three awards: 'Song of the Year,' 'Best Soundtrack,' and 'Best Vocal Performance.' Korean-American singers EJAE and Ray Ami, who performed the song, took the stage and said, "We closed the door of chaos," and sincerely thanked the fans and production team for their support of the film and the song.

The AMA was first launched in 1974, planned by producer Dick Clark. Nominees are determined by a combination of streaming numbers, sales, and radio airplay, and winners are selected through the world’s largest fan voting. This year, Queen Latifah hosted the event for the first time in 30 years.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.