BTS sweeps three top honours at American Music Awards 2026: See full list of major winners

BTS capped off a triumphant return to the global music scene by winning the night's biggest prize, Artist of the Year, at the 2026 American Music Awards (AMAs), held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The K-pop supergroup also picked up Song of the Summer for SWIM and Best Male K-Pop Artist, completing a clean sweep of all three categories they were nominated in.

The group's victory marks another major milestone in a comeback year that has already seen their album ARIRANG top charts worldwide and launch a sold-out world tour. BTS also opened the ceremony with a special performance of Hooligan, turning the AMAs stage into a cinematic spectacle with elaborate visuals, dancers and pyrotechnics.

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BTS takes home the night's top honour

One of the most closely watched categories of the evening was Artist of the Year, where BTS beat a star-studded field that included Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Harry Styles, Sabrina Carpenter, Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny.

Accepting the award, RM thanked the group's global fanbase, ARMY, calling it an honour to receive a fan-voted award once again.

The win marks BTS' second Artist of the Year victory at the AMAs, further cementing their status as one of the most influential acts in global pop music.

SWIM wins Song of the Summer

BTS' lead single SWIM from ARIRANG was named Song of the Summer, adding another trophy to the group's haul. In their acceptance speech, RM said, “First thing first, a big shoutout to ARMY all over the world. Thank you so much for giving all the love for ‘SWIM.’ When we made this album, we had a lot of pressure. We tried to figure out what music felt the most ‘us’ right now. The only thing we believed in was that we have to keep challenging and keep moving forward.”

V added, “Thank you everyone at BIGHIT including Nicole, SeonJeong and our producer "hitman" Bang. To everyone out there who keeps swimming no matter what, we send you our love and support. Keep swimming. Let’s go! Thank you.”

Later in the evening, BTS returned to the stage to accept the award for Artist of the Year, one of the night’s most competitive categories, with fellow nominees including Bad Bunny, Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift, and Harry Styles.

RM began the acceptance speech and said, “ARMY, we made it once again! Thank you. It’s an honour to have this precious award once again. It’s a fan-voted award, so our biggest thanks and gratitude as always goes to our ARMY all over the world who stood by us for the past thirteen years. Thank you so much.”

J-hope continued, “We have been overwhelmed by the reaction to this album. Thank you for embracing ARIRANG, and every single song on this album that you helped chart. Thank you. We are so grateful.”

Jimin added, “Thank you for passionately following us on tour, and showing so much love in every city. We feel your love and we really, really appreciate it. And to all the ARMYs who always support and love us, thank you so much. We love you.”

Jin shared warmly, “ARMY, we love you all,” while SUGA expressed his gratitude with a simple, “Thank you!” Bringing the speech to a close, Jung Kook added, “Thank you AMAs. It feels so good to be back!”

KATSEYE, Sabrina Carpenter and KPop Demon Hunters also score big

While BTS dominated the headlines, several other artists enjoyed major wins. Girl group KATSEYE was among the night's biggest winners, taking home New Artist of the Year and additional honours including Best Music Video for Gnarly.

Sabrina Carpenter won Album of the Year, Best Pop Album for Man's Best Friend and *Best Female Pop Artist. Meanwhile, Golden from KPop Demon Hunters emerged as one of the ceremony's standout winners. Performed by HUNTR/X- EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami- the song won Song of the Year and Best Vocal Performance.

Other major winners at the 2026 AMAs

The night's notable winners included:

-BTS: Artist of the Year, Song of the Summer, Best Male K-Pop Artist

-KATSEYE: New Artist of the Year, Best Music Video (Gnarly)

-HUNTR/X (Golden): Song of the Year, Best Vocal Performance

-Sabrina Carpenter: Album of the Year, Best Pop Album, Best Female Pop Artist

-SZA: Best Female R&B Artist

-Twenty One Pilots: Best Rock/Alternative Artist

-Karol G: Best Latin Album (Tropicoqueta) and International Artist Award of Excellence

-Shakira: Tour of the Year for Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour

-David Guetta: Best Dance/Electronic Artist

A comeback year to remember for BTS

The AMAs victory comes amid a blockbuster year for BTS. Following the completion of the members' military service, the group returned with ARIRANG, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The album's lead single SWIM also topped the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Global 200 charts.

The group is currently in the middle of its ARIRANG world tour and a large-scale Las Vegas takeover event that has transformed parts of the city into an immersive BTS-themed experience.

With three major AMAs, a chart-topping album and sold-out stadium shows, 2026 is rapidly shaping up to be one of the biggest years of BTS' career.