BTS is once again proving its global staying power, earning three nominations at the American Music Awards.
According to the 2026 nominees list released April 14th (local time), BTS is up for the night’s top honor, Artist of the Year, along with Song of the Summer for “SWIM,” the title track from their fifth full-length album ARIRANG, and Favorite Male K-pop Artist.
The nominations are based on Billboard and Luminate data collected from March 21st of last year through March 26th of this year, factoring in streaming, sales and radio airplay. Notably, BTS dropped ARIRANG on March 20th—meaning they secured multiple nominations in just six days of tracking.
The group previously made history in 2021 as the first Asian act to win Artist of the Year at the AMAs, and anticipation is high for whether they can repeat the feat. This year’s category is stacked, with contenders including Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber, Harry Styles and Sabrina Carpenter.
K-pop’s growing global reach is also reflected across this year’s lineup. Jennie teamed up with Tame Impala for a remix of “Dracula,” which will compete against BTS in the Song of the Summer category.
Rising girl group KATSEYE also made a strong showing, picking up three nominations including New Artist of the Year, Favorite Music Video and Breakthrough Pop Artist.
Meanwhile, Netflix’s animated hit KPop Demon Hunters continues its momentum after major awards wins, landing a Best Soundtrack nomination. Songs from its fictional girl group Huntrix—performed by EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami—are also nominated in major categories including Song of the Year and Best Pop Song.
Competition in the K-pop categories is equally fierce. BTS is joined on the male side by ATEEZ, ENHYPEN, Stray Kids and TOMORROW X TOGETHER, while the female category includes aespa, BLACKPINK, ILLIT, LE SSERAFIM and TWICE.
Winners will be determined entirely by fan votes, which remain open through May 8th via the official website and social media. The ceremony will take place May 25th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
>> BTS’ Jungkook Breaks Silence on Viral Livestream, Apologizes to Fans
In the meantime, watch trending K-dramas for free on Amasian TV.
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