South Korean artists gathered multiple awards across major general categories at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards at the Peacock Theatre.
BTS secured three trophies during Sunday’s broadcast, winning Song of the Year, Best K-Pop and Best Group. Their chart-topping track «Swim» defeated prominent Western releases, including Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter‘s «Bring Your Love» as well as Ella Langley‘s «Choosin’ Texas». The seven-member boy band accepted the awards off-screen.
In the dedicated Best K-Pop category, BTS edged out industry peers. The contested nominee list included Blackpink for their track «Jump», rising group Cortis for «REDRED», Katseye for «Pinky Up» and Le Sserafim for «Sphagetti», which notably featured BTS member J-hope.
Breaking boundaries in general pop categories
Meanwhile, Blackpink member LISA disrupted the broader pop landscape by winning Best Pop for her collaboration «Dream» featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi. This fan-voted victory marked an important milestone as she triumphed over established Western heavyweights such as Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Charli XCX and Olivia Rodrigo.
The Thai-born artist later commanded the stage with a live television debut of her solo single, «Sawadika.» Her performance stood out for its cultural representation, integrating a traditional Thai tuk-tuk taxi into the intricate stage choreography.
Madonna and Swift secure top general prizes
While Korean artists dominated major song categories, Western pop icons commanded the evening’s most prestigious overarching awards. Madonna entered the ceremony with a leading 11 nominations and secured seven wins, including Artist of the Year. Her return to the VMAs stage marked her first performance at the event in over two decades, opening the show with imagery from her latest album, «Confessions II.»
Taylor Swift made her own history, becoming the most-awarded artist in the show’s history by surpassing Beyoncé‘s previous record of 30 Moon Person trophies. Swift won Video of the Year for «The Fate of Ophelia» and received the inaugural Artist Director Honour. This new accolade recognised her contributions to visual storytelling behind the camera.
Rounding out the major honorary awards, the surviving members of Nirvana, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear, accepted the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. The tribute featured archival footage of the late Kurt Cobain discussing the creative process behind generation-defining visuals like «Smells Like Teen Spirit» and «Heart-Shaped Box».
