BTS Sweeps All Three Categories at the 2026 MTV VMAs, Song of the Year Included

BTS won all three awards it was nominated for at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, held Sunday, September 27, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. “Swim” took Song of the Year and Best K-Pop. The group also won Best Group.

“Swim” beat Madonna, HUNTR/X and Ella Langley

“Swim” is the lead single from “Arirang,” the group’s fifth studio album. In Song of the Year, it went up against Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter’s “Bring Your Love,” HUNTR/X’s “Golden” from the Netflix film “KPop Demon Hunters,” and Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas.” In Best K-Pop, the other nominees were BLACKPINK, CORTIS, KATSEYE, LE SSERAFIM and Lisa.

First K-pop group to win the category

BTS is the first K-pop group to win Song of the Year at the VMAs. In 2021, “Dynamite” made them the first Korean act nominated for it. Rosé won the award last year with Bruno Mars for “APT.,” so K-pop has now taken it two years in a row.

Best Group makes it five

Best Group was BTS’s fifth win in that category, after four in a row from 2019 to 2022. No act has won it more times.

A statement in place of a speech

The members did not attend the ceremony. They issued a statement through Big Hit Music thanking ARMY for their support. They called “Arirang” a new beginning and said the seven of them will keep making music and performing together.

A March reunion

BTS came back together as a full group in March, after a hiatus of nearly four years. “Arirang” came out that same month. “Swim” was released March 20 and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the UK Official Singles Chart. It also topped Spotify’s Daily Top Songs Global chart.

Madonna won seven awards at the ceremony, the most of anyone. Taylor Swift took Video of the Year for “The Fate of Ophelia.”