BTS eyes second artist of the year win at American Music Awards

SEOUL – BTS is set to return to the American Music Awards (AMA) for the first time in four years, as the group competes once again for the ceremony’s top honour.

According to the AMAs on May 20, BTS will attend the awards ceremony scheduled for May 25 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The boy group has been nominated for Artist of the Year, competing against global pop stars including Bad Bunny, Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga. BTS became the first Korean act to win the category in 2021.

The group also received nominations for Best Male K-pop Artist and Song of the Summer, with Swim, the main track from its fifth studio album Arirang, earning a nod in the latter category.

BTS has won a total of 12 AMA trophies through both group and solo activities. The group first won Favourite Social Artist in 2018 and went on to claim the same award for three consecutive years through 2020. In 2019, BTS also won Tour of the Year, highlighting the group’s global concert power.

The group dominated the Favorite Duo or Group – Pop/Rock category from 2019 to 2022, becoming the most-awarded act in the category’s history. In 2021, BTS won three awards including Artist of the Year, Favorite Duo or Group and Favorite Pop Song. In 2022, the group became the inaugural winner of Favourite K-pop Artist, while RM later won the same category in 2025.

Meanwhile, BTS is set to hold BTS World Tour ‘Arirang’ in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium on May 23-24 and 27-28.

The concerts will coincide with BTS The City Arirang – Las Vegas, a large-scale citywide project developed in partnership with the Las Vegas tourism authority.

One of the main highlights, Arirang Red Illumination, will light up the city in the signature red colour associated with the group’s latest album Arirang. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK