The 2026 American Music Awards on 25th May, turned into a landmark night for BTS, who made their long-awaited return to the globally celebrated awards ceremony after years of group hiatus, military enlistments, and solo projects. Held in Las Vegas, the event was already packed with anticipation, but BTS' arrival completely changed the energy inside the venue.
BTS Sweeps Three Top Honours at the AMAs
The 52nd annual American Music Awards (AMAs), held on Memorial Day, 25th May, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, witnessed a historic shift in global pop music dominance. The South Korean icons BTS dominated the evening as they proudly returned to the American awards stage following a four-year absence due to required military duty.
The seven-piece band—which includes RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook—proved their enormous influence is still unmatched even though they were reportedly 90 minutes late to the star-studded event.
The group took the stage live to present SZA with the Best Female R&B Artist trophy after kicking off the evening's energy with a spectacular, pre-recorded performance of their hit song 'Hooligan,' which was captured the night before during their massive 'Arirang World Tour' stop at Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium.
The Historic Triumphs and Emotional Speeches of BTS
BTS won the night's biggest accolade, Artist of the Year, by winning all three of the categories in which they were nominated and defeating prominent figures in the business including Bruno Mars and Taylor Swift. After winning the top prize for the first time in 2021, this victory is the group's second in AMA history.
BTS also made history by being the first Asian group to win both Best Male K-Pop Artist and Song of the Summer for their hit song 'Swim,' which is the first single off their critically acclaimed comeback album 'ARIRANG.'
Group leader RM showed intense emotion as he accepted the Artist of the Year award, saying, "ARMYs, we did it once again! It's an honour to have this precious award after everyone done their military service. Our biggest thanks and gratitude, as always, go to ARMYs all over the world, who stood by us for the past 13 years."
Member J-Hope also shared his immense gratitude for the global response to their new music, adding, "Honestly, thank you for embracing ARIRANG and every single song on this album that you helped chart. We're so grateful."
Also Read: BTS Creates Massive Fan Festival in Mexico City with Sold-Out Shows
Other Major Awardees and Shocking Upsets of the Night
While BTS made the most headlines, Queen Latifah's ceremony was a huge success for a number of other well-known performers. Pop phenomenon Sabrina Carpenter won Best Female Pop Artist in every category, and her album 'Man's Best Friend' won Best Pop Album and Album of the Year.
Alongside her, pop icon Justin Bieber made a huge impression by winning the Best Male Pop Artist trophy, reminding everyone of his continuing star power. While Cardi B dominated the hip-hop categories by winning Best Female Hip-Hop Artist, Best Hip-Hop Song for 'ErrTime,' and Best Hip-Hop Album for 'AM I THE DRAMA?', R&B heavyweight Bruno Mars won three significant awards, including Best Male R&B Artist.
Massive breakout acts were also featured on the night. One of the event's biggest genre sweeps was achieved by 20-year-old indie singer-songwriter Sombr, who won Best Rock/Alternative Song for his viral hit 'Back 2 Friends' and Best Rock/Alternative Album for his debut album, 'I Barely Know Her.' Accepting his award on stage, an emotional Sombr shared, "I wrote this song when I was 19 and depressed all by myself in my bedroom. So being here, I never would have expected that."
Global newcomers KATSEYE also had an amazing evening, winning Best Music Video, Breakthrough Pop Artist, and New Artist of the Year for 'Gnarly.' In a surprising turn of events, Taylor Swift, who led the evening with eight nominations, walked away without a single win, though she still firmly holds her record as the most awarded artist in AMAs history with 40 trophies.
List of Major Winners From the 2026 AMAs:
1. Artist of the Year: BTS
2. New Artist of the Year: KATSEYE
3. Album of the Year: Sabrina Carpenter (Man's Best Friend)
4. Song of the Year: 'Golden' by HUNTR/X vocalists (EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI)
5. Song of the Summer: 'Swim' by BTS
6. Best Male Pop Artist: Justin Bieber
7. Best Female Pop Artist: Sabrina Carpenter
8. Best Rock/Alternative Song: Sombr (Back 2 Friends)
9. Best Rock/Alternative Album: Sombr (I Barely Know Her)
10. Best Rock/Alternative Artist: Twenty-One Pilots
11. Best Male Hip-Hop Artist: Kendrick Lamar
12. Best Female Hip-Hop Artist: Cardi B
13. Best Male R&B Artist: Bruno Mars
14. Best Female R&B Artist: SZA
15. Best Male K-Pop Artist: BTS
16. Best Female K-Pop Artist: TWICE
17. Tour of the Year: Shakira (Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour)
