BTS swept all three categories they were nominated for at the 52nd American Music Awards in Las Vegas on Monday night, winning Artist of the Year, Song of the Summer for "Swim," and Best Male K-Pop Artist, making it their first AMA appearance in five years and one of the most dominant nights any act has had at the ceremony in years.

Taylor Swift, the most-awarded artist in AMA history with 40 trophies, led this year's nominations with eight nods, including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for The Life of a Showgirl, and Song of the Summer for "Elizabeth Taylor." BTS had three. Swift left Las Vegas without a win — Album of the Year instead going to Sabrina Carpenter for Man's Best Friend, one of the night's few major upsets over the field's most-nominated act. Morgan Wallen, Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Dean and Sombr each had seven nominations going in. BTS had the fewest nominations among any artist who won multiple awards, and the highest conversion rate of the night.

The Artist of the Year category alone had BTS competing against Bad Bunny, Bruno Mars, Harry Styles, Justin Bieber, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Morgan Wallen, Sabrina Carpenter, and Taylor Swift. It was as stacked a field as the AMAs has put together in years. BTS won it regardless.

BTS opened the 52nd AMAs with a performance of "Hooligan," the hard-edged lead track from their comeback album Arirang. It was pre-taped at their Allegiant Stadium concert the night before — the group is four shows into a four-night Las Vegas run as part of their world tour. The performance had heavy fog, blood-red lighting, razor-sharp choreography, with each member camera-ready. Later in the programme, they appeared in person to present Best Female R&B Artist to SZA, who fan-girled over the members while accepting the trophy from them.

Collecting Song of the Summer, RM said: "When we made this album, we had a lot of pressure, and we tried to figure out what kind of music felt the most like us right now. We have to keep challenging ourselves and to keep moving forward."  As he spoke, he held a rubber duck and playfully squeezed it, drawing laughs from the group. Wrapping up the moment, V added, "Keep swimming."

None of this would have seemed possible nine years ago, when BTS turned up to the AMAs for the first time with no nominations and no guarantee anyone in the room knew who they were.

BTS made history in November 2017 as the first K-pop group to perform at the American Music Awards, also marking their first-ever US television performance. They performed "DNA" in Los Angeles, introduced by The Chainsmokers, to an audience that included Diana Ross, Lady Gaga, and Christina Aguilera. After they left the stage, Jared Leto came out to present the next award and said he needed "a moment to recover." RM, speaking on the red carpet that evening, said performing in front of 10,000 people had once been their final dream. Performing live on American television, he said, "is a miracle."

The trophies came the following year. BTS became the first Korean act to win at the AMAs in 2018, taking Favourite Social Artist — defeating Cardi B, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato and Shawn Mendes. Being a fan-voted category, some dismissed it as a measure of online mobilisation rather than musical standing. Then in 2019 they did it again, winning not only Favourite Social Artist but also Tour of the Year — over Ariana Grande, Elton John, Pink and Ed Sheeran — and Favourite Duo or Group. The dismissals grew harder to sustain.

They held the Favourite Duo or Group category for four consecutive years from 2019 to 2022, won Social Artist three years running through 2020, and in 2021 swept three awards, including Artist of the Year — the first time any Asian artist had ever won it. They beat Taylor Swift, Drake and The Weeknd for that one. RM said from the stage that night that none of it could have been predicted. "Seven boys from Korea, united by love for music, met the love and support from all the armies all over the world."

Then came the military. South Korean law requires all able-bodied men to serve, and BTS members enlisted one by one from 2022 onwards. Jin was first in, in December 2022, and first discharged, in June 2024. All seven completed their service by June 2025, immediately regrouping to begin work on new music.

Their album Arirang was released on March 20, 2026, their first in over five years, and the following day they performed a free concert at Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square, livestreamed globally on Netflix. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 641,000 album-equivalent units, achieved 110 million Spotify streams on its first day, and broke Apple Music's record for most first-day streams by a pop group. Lead single "Swim" reached number one on the Hot 100. Their 82-date world tour, launched in April, sold out in hours.

Sombr also had a remarkable evening of their own, winning Breakthrough Rock/Alternative Artist, Best Rock/Alternative Song for "Back to Friends," and Best Rock/Alternative Album for I Barely Know Her — making them arguably the night's second-biggest story.

The singing voices of KPop Demon Hunters — EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI — won both Song of the Year and Best Vocal Performance for their eight-week Hot 100 chart-topper "Golden," and the film's Best Soundtrack award completed a clean sweep for the project. KATSEYE won New Artist of the Year and Best Music Video for "Gnarly." Twenty One Pilots took Best Rock/Alternative Artist, while David Guetta claimed Best Dance/Electronic Artist. In country, Sam Barber was named Breakthrough Country Artist. Monaleo won Breakthrough Hip-Hop Artist. Leon Thomas won Breakthrough R&B Artist.

Fuerza Regida won Best Latin Duo or Group, while KAROL G claimed Best Latin Album for Tropicoqueta before receiving the International Artist Award of Excellence, presented by John Legend, who noted she became the first Latina artist in history to headline Coachella. The night's new Best Throwback Song category went to the Black Eyed Peas for "Rock That Body."

Queen Latifah hosted the ceremony, returning to the role for the first time in 31 years. She joked early in the night that some members of BTS weren't born the last time she did it. By the end, those same members were holding the night's top prize.

BTS has now won 15 trophies at the AMAs in total, as a group and as soloists. The tour continues.BTS sweep all 3 nominations at AMAs, win Artist of the Year in historic return

BTS swept all three categories they were nominated for at the 52nd American Music Awards in Las Vegas on Monday night, winning Artist of the Year, Song of the Summer for "Swim," and Best Male K-Pop Artist, making it their first AMA appearance in five years and one of the most dominant nights any act has had at the ceremony in years.

Taylor Swift, the most-awarded artist in AMA history with 40 trophies, led this year's nominations with eight nods, including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for The Life of a Showgirl, and Song of the Summer for "Elizabeth Taylor." BTS had three. Swift left Las Vegas without a win — Album of the Year instead going to Sabrina Carpenter for Man's Best Friend, one of the night's few major upsets over the field's most-nominated act. Morgan Wallen, Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Dean and Sombr each had seven nominations going in. BTS had the fewest nominations among any artist who won multiple awards, and the highest conversion rate of the night.

The Artist of the Year category alone had BTS competing against Bad Bunny, Bruno Mars, Harry Styles, Justin Bieber, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Morgan Wallen, Sabrina Carpenter, and Taylor Swift. It was as stacked a field as the AMAs has put together in years. BTS won it regardless.

BTS opened the 52nd AMAs with a performance of "Hooligan," the hard-edged lead track from their comeback album Arirang. It was pre-taped at their Allegiant Stadium concert the night before — the group is four shows into a four-night Las Vegas run as part of their world tour. The performance had heavy fog, blood-red lighting, razor-sharp choreography, with each member camera-ready. Later in the programme, they appeared in person to present Best Female R&B Artist to SZA, who fan-girled over the members while accepting the trophy from them.

Collecting Song of the Summer, RM said: "When we made this album, we had a lot of pressure and we tried to figure out what kind of music felt the most like us right now. We have to keep challenging ourselves and to keep moving forward." He had a rubber duck in his hand, which he squeezed to make it squeak as V wrapped up by saying, "Keep swimming."

None of this would have seemed possible nine years ago, when BTS turned up to the AMAs for the first time with no nominations and no guarantee anyone in the room knew who they were.

BTS made history in November 2017 as the first K-pop group to perform at the American Music Awards, also marking their first-ever US television performance. They performed "DNA" in Los Angeles, introduced by The Chainsmokers, to an audience that included Diana Ross, Lady Gaga, and Christina Aguilera. After they left the stage, Jared Leto came out to present the next award and said he needed "a moment to recover." RM, speaking on the red carpet that evening, said performing in front of 10,000 people had once been their final dream. Performing live on American television, he said, "is a miracle."

The trophies came the following year. BTS became the first Korean act to win at the AMAs in 2018, taking Favourite Social Artist — defeating Cardi B, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato and Shawn Mendes. Being a fan-voted category, some dismissed it as a measure of online mobilisation rather than musical standing. Then in 2019 they did it again, winning not only Favourite Social Artist but also Tour of the Year — over Ariana Grande, Elton John, Pink and Ed Sheeran — and Favourite Duo or Group. The dismissals grew harder to sustain.

They held the Favourite Duo or Group category for four consecutive years from 2019 to 2022, won Social Artist three years running through 2020, and in 2021 swept three awards, including Artist of the Year — the first time any Asian artist had ever won it. They beat Taylor Swift, Drake and The Weeknd for that one. RM said from the stage that night that none of it could have been predicted. "Seven boys from Korea, united by love for music, met the love and support from all the armies all over the world."

Then came the military. South Korean law requires all able-bodied men to serve, and BTS members enlisted one by one from 2022 onwards. Jin was first in, in December 2022, and first discharged, in June 2024. All seven completed their service by June 2025, immediately regrouping to begin work on new music.

Their album Arirang was released on March 20, 2026, their first in over five years, and the following day they performed a free concert at Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square, livestreamed globally on Netflix. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 641,000 album-equivalent units, achieved 110 million Spotify streams on its first day, and broke Apple Music's record for most first-day streams by a pop group. Lead single "Swim" reached number one on the Hot 100. Their 82-date world tour, launched in April, sold out in hours.

Sombr also had a remarkable evening of their own, winning Breakthrough Rock/Alternative Artist, Best Rock/Alternative Song for "Back to Friends," and Best Rock/Alternative Album for I Barely Know Her — making them arguably the night's second-biggest story.

The singing voices of KPop Demon Hunters — EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI — won both Song of the Year and Best Vocal Performance for their eight-week Hot 100 chart-topper "Golden," and the film's Best Soundtrack award completed a clean sweep for the project. KATSEYE won New Artist of the Year and Best Music Video for "Gnarly." Twenty One Pilots took Best Rock/Alternative Artist, while David Guetta claimed Best Dance/Electronic Artist. In country, Sam Barber was named Breakthrough Country Artist. Monaleo won Breakthrough Hip-Hop Artist. Leon Thomas won Breakthrough R&B Artist.

Fuerza Regida won Best Latin Duo or Group, while KAROL G claimed Best Latin Album for Tropicoqueta before receiving the International Artist Award of Excellence, presented by John Legend, who noted she became the first Latina artist in history to headline Coachella. The night's new Best Throwback Song category went to the Black Eyed Peas for "Rock That Body."

Queen Latifah hosted the ceremony, returning to the role for the first time in 31 years. She joked early in the night that some members of BTS weren't born the last time she did it. By the end, those same members were holding the night's top prize.

BTS has now won 15 trophies at the AMAs in total, as a group and as soloists. The tour continues.