Group reclaims best group title after military hiatus, including song of the year for “Swim”
BTS swept all three categories in which it was nominated at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, taking home song of the year, best K-pop and best group despite not attending the ceremony in Los Angeles.
The septet’s biggest win of the night came in song of the year for “Swim,” the lead track from its fifth LP, “Arirang.”
The category, one of the VMAs’ major honors, also included nominees such as Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter’s “Bring Your Love,” Pink Pantheress and Zara Larsson’s “Stateside” and Raye’s “Where Is My Husband!”
The win marked BTS’ first victory in that category, five years after the group became the first Korean act nominated for song of the year at the VMAs with “Dynamite” in 2021.
The group also won the best group award. The win carried particular significance, as it marked the group’s fifth trophy in the category and came in the same year the seven members resumed full-group activities following the completion of their service.
The group previously won best group for four consecutive years from 2019 through 2022, before the members began suspending group activities to complete their mandatory military service.
“Swim” also earned the group the best K-pop award, after competing against Blackpink, Cortis, Katseye, Le Sserafim and Lisa.
BTS returned to full-group activities this year with “Arirang,” its first album following the members’ military hiatus. Since then, “Swim” has won song of the summer at the American Music Awards in May, while the group has been on a world tour since April. The tour is set to continue in South America beginning with Bogota on Oct. 2.
lee.jungjoo@heraldcorp.com