BTS Sweeps Three Categories at 2026 MTV Video Music Awards

BTS won all three categories in which it was nominated at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, securing song of the year, best K-pop and best group at Sunday's ceremony in Los Angeles. The South Korean septet did not attend the event but issued a statement thanking its fans after the results were announced.

The group's most prominent victory came in the song of the year category for "Swim," the lead single from its fifth studio album, "Arirang." The win made BTS the first K-pop group to receive the honor. The group had previously become the first Korean act nominated for the category in 2021, when "Dynamite" was among the contenders.

Other song of the year nominees included Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter's "Bring Your Love," PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson's "Stateside," and Raye's "Where Is My Husband!" In a statement released by Big Hit Music, BTS described "Arirang" as an album representing a new beginning and credited the support of Army, its global fan community, for the award.

BTS also extended its record in the best group category. The band had won the prize in four consecutive years from 2019 through 2022, before its members paused group activities to fulfill South Korea's mandatory military service requirements. The latest trophy is its fifth in the category, more than any other act, and arrives in the year all seven members returned to full-group work.

The third victory came in best K-pop, where "Swim" competed against entries from Blackpink, Cortis, Katseye, Le Sserafim and Lisa. The single was released in March and reached No. 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Spotify's Daily Top Songs Global chart. It also debuted at No. 2 on the United Kingdom's Official Singles Chart.

The awards add to a busy comeback period for BTS. "Arirang" was the group's first album following its military-service hiatus, and "Swim" received song of the summer at the American Music Awards in May. The band began a world tour in April and is scheduled to start its South American leg in Bogota on Oct. 2, followed by concerts in Lima, Santiago, Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo.

The three VMA victories underscore BTS's renewed global momentum after the interruption in group promotions. They also add another first for a Korean pop act at one of the United States' major music awards ceremonies.