BTS Crowned Artist of the Year at 52nd AMAs Following Monumental Post-Military Comeback

South Korean sensations BTS secured the coveted Artist of the Year title at the 52nd American Music Awards on Monday, marking their second triumph in the ceremony’s most prestigious category.

This accolade arrives on the heels of the septet’s highly anticipated reunion. All seven members recently completed their mandatory military service before releasing their fifth studio album, «Arirang», earlier this year.

Cementing their enduring global dominance, the group beat a star-studded list of nominees that included Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Bad Bunny and Lady Gaga. This latest milestone mirrors their historic 2021 Artist of the Year win, a year they also successfully edged out Swift for the top honour.

Released in March, «Arirang» has enjoyed massive commercial success, propelled by its globally popular lead single «Swim». As of the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart dated May 23, the track has clinched the number one spot for a sixth time this year while holding firm at number two on the Billboard Global 200. On Spotify, the album reached second place on the Weekly Top Album Global chart, with ‘Swim’ peaking at number four on the platform’s Weekly Top Song Global rankings.

The venue echoed with deafening chants of «BTS! BTS!» as the band took to the stage to accept their trophy.

«Armys, we did it once again!» declared RM during their acceptance speech. «It’s an honour to receive this precious award after everyone completed their military service. Since this is a fan-voted award, our biggest thanks and gratitude, as always, go to Armys all over the world.»

J-Hope followed up by expressing his appreciation for the fans’ reaction to their new music:

«We’ve had such an overwhelming response to this album. Honestly, thank you for embracing “Arirang» and every single song on this album. We’re so grateful.”

Jimin also took a moment to acknowledge the dedication of fans attending their current world tour.

«Thank you for following us on tour and showing us so much love in every city,» he said. «And to all the Armys who always support and love us, thank you. We love you.»

Nominations for the American Music Awards are heavily based on fan engagement metrics such as streaming figures, album sales, radio airplay and tour revenues. Consequently, this victory serves as a powerful testament to the sheer scale of the BTS fan base.

Alongside the night’s biggest prize, the group also collected awards for Best Male K-pop Artist and Song of the Summer for «Swim».

The septet will shortly resume their live schedule with performances in Las Vegas on Wednesday and Thursday. Following this U.S. leg, they are set to return to Busan in June for special anniversary concerts celebrating 13 years since their debut.

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