American Music Awards 2026 Winners: BTS Leads A Landmark Night For Hybe With 2 Major Wins - DEETS

Pop Royalty BTS delivered a landmark night at the 2026 American Music Awards held at MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas, securing three major awards and opening the ceremony with a special performance of "Hooligan." The band took home the top award, Artist of the Year, as well as Song of the Summer and Best Male K-Pop Artist.

Photo Credit:

BIGHIT MUSIC (HYBE)

BTS kicked off the awards with a special performance of "Hooligan." The stage production transformed the arena into a cinematic spectacle, with the members emerging through red smoke flares and fire torches as the crowd erupted in cheers. Dressed in sleek all-black leather outfits, BTS delivered a commanding performance powered by unmistakable stage presence alongside a large ensemble of dancers.

The band's lead single "SWIM" from their fifth studio album ARIRANG earned the "Song of the Summer." The chart-topper shattered chart records worldwide, becoming a unifying global anthem driven by its message of continuing to move forward together. 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. Marking one of the night's most emotional highlights, the members delivered a heartfelt acceptance speech.

RM began, "ARMY, we made it once again! Thank you. It's an honor 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!"

HYBE took home several trophies at the evening's awards, further cementing its influence in the global music scene. In their acceptance speeches, BTS expressed gratitude toward HYBE Chairman Bang Si-Hyuk, underscoring the company's strong presence at one of music's biggest nights.

With their wins for Artist of the Year, Song of the Summer, and Best Male K-Pop Artist - the latter announced off-air - BTS concluded the ceremony with three major awards, further solidifying their legacy as one of the most influential acts in music.

Amid the audience's soaring cheers and standing ovations, the band also took the awards stage to present SZA with the award for 'Best Female R&B Artist.'

Released in March 2026, ARIRANG achieved incredible chart success, standing as a cultural imprint that transcends generations and cultures. Rooted in Korean identity yet embraced globally, the album explores connection, resilience, and collective joy through BTS' most ambitious body of work to date. "SWIM" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the album itself claimed the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 immediately upon release. "SWIM" remained at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 for four weeks, with all 13 vocal tracks from the album charting on the tally for that same eight-week period. ARIRANG sets the record as the only album in history to chart all vocal tracks on the Billboard Global 200 for eight consecutive weeks, marking the biggest debut of 2026 so far as a landmark album of its time.

Over the weekend, BTS dominated Las Vegas with a triumphant start to the first two nights of their four-night, sold-out run at Allegiant Stadium as part of the 'BTS WORLD TOUR 'ARIRANG,' alongside a captivating citywide takeover titled 'BTS THE CITY ARIRANG LAS VEGAS,' an expansive citywide experience inspired by the group's fifth studio album. Running from May 20 to May 31, the project transforms iconic landmarks across Las Vegas into immersive extensions of BTS' music, storytelling, and visual world, offering fans a new way to experience ARIRANG beyond the concert venue. Reflecting the album's spirit of connection and collective celebration, the takeover further reinforces BTS' growing cultural impact far beyond music.

With relentless momentum, BTS cement their status as a defining force in pop, making 2026 unmistakably the year of BTS.