Why it matters. The AMAs are decided entirely by fan voting, so a near-sweep by Korea-linked acts is a clear measure of K-pop's organized global fandom — not just its chart presence. The night also marked BTS's full creative return to the US stage after a two-year military hiatus that many in the industry feared would cost the group its momentum.
Background. In South Korea, all able-bodied men must serve roughly 18-21 months in the military, and BTS's staggered enlistments from late 2022 through 2025 were widely treated as an existential test for the group and for HYBE, its label. 'KPop Demon Hunters' — a Netflix animation about a K-pop girl group who moonlight as demon slayers — became a surprise global hit in 2025, and KATSEYE is the first major output of HYBE's joint venture with Geffen Records aimed at building a 'global' (not Korean-nationality-only) girl group from the ground up.
What to watch next. Watch whether BTS converts this AMA win into Grammy traction in early 2026, and whether HYBE doubles down on the KATSEYE-style hybrid model as the template for K-pop's next decade abroad.
K-Pop Dominates the 52nd American Music Awards
The 52nd American Music Awards (AMAs), held November 25 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, turned into a showcase for Korean pop music. BTS walked away with three trophies — including the night’s top prize, Artist of the Year — while the soundtrack to Netflix’s animated hit KPop Demon Hunters took four, and the global girl group KATSEYE claimed three more. Together, Korea-linked acts accounted for ten wins at one of America’s three major mainstream music ceremonies, alongside the Grammys and Billboard Music Awards.
BTS Returns to the Top After Military Hiatus
BTS beat a field that included Bad Bunny, Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, and Taylor Swift to take Artist of the Year — the group’s second win in the category after 2021’s run with the single “Butter.” They also won Song of the Summer for “Swim” and Best Male K-Pop Artist, sweeping every category they were nominated in.
The win lands just two months after the seven-member group released its fifth studio album, Arirang, in March — its first full-length record since all members completed mandatory South Korean military service. Leader RM dedicated the win to the group’s fanbase, ARMY, saying “ARMY did it again,” and thanked fans for the honor of returning to the stage after the group’s enlistment break. Member Jimin addressed fans in both English and Korean. The group is currently on its Arirang world tour and opened the broadcast with a pre-recorded performance of the track “Hooligan” from its Las Vegas tour stop.
‘Golden’ From ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Wins Song of the Year
The night’s other major Korean storyline came from an unlikely source: an animated film. “Golden,” the breakout song from Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters — known in Korea by the shorthand “K-Deh-Heon” — won Song of the Year, Best Vocal Performance, and Best Pop Song. The film’s full soundtrack also took Best Soundtrack, bringing the project’s total to four awards.
“Golden” is performed in the film by HUNTR/X, the fictional girl group at the center of the story, with vocals by Korean American singers EJAE, Rei Ami, and Audrey Nuna. EJAE and Rei Ami accepted the trophies in person, with EJAE thanking fans and the film’s team for the project’s momentum.
KATSEYE, the Hybrid US-Korea Group, Wins Best New Artist
KATSEYE, the global girl group jointly developed by South Korea’s HYBE — BTS’s label — and the US-based Geffen Records, took Best New Artist, Breakthrough Pop Artist, and Best Music Video. The group also performed its single “Pinky Up” during the show.
Member Sophia thanked BTS for inspiring the group “to share our culture on a global scale,” while Korean member Yoonchae spoke in Korean to thank her bandmates. The remaining K-pop category, Best Female K-Pop Artist, went to TWICE, the long-running girl group under JYP Entertainment, who beat aespa, BLACKPINK, ILLIT, and LE SSERAFIM.
The Bigger Picture
Elsewhere in the ceremony, American singer-songwriter Sabrina Carpenter took Album of the Year for Man’s Best Friend, along with Best Female Pop Artist and Best Pop Album, for her own three-win night.
The Hankyoreh, the Korean newspaper reporting the results, framed the evening less as a measure of musical achievement and more as proof of K-pop’s fan-base muscle in the US market. Unlike the Grammys, AMA winners are chosen entirely by fan voting after nominees are determined from streaming and sales data — a format that rewards organized, mobilized fandoms. By that measure, the paper noted, the night demonstrated that K-pop’s pull in American popular music is now “considerable.”
- BTS: Artist of the Year, Song of the Summer, Best Male K-Pop Artist
- ‘Golden’ / KPop Demon Hunters: Song of the Year, Best Vocal Performance, Best Pop Song, Best Soundtrack
- KATSEYE: Best New Artist, Breakthrough Pop Artist, Best Music Video
- TWICE: Best Female K-Pop Artist
Based on Korean-language reporting from 한겨레. Sources: BTS 3관왕·케데헌 ‘골든’ 4관왕…K팝 잔치 된 AMA (한겨레); BTS, 아메리칸뮤직어워즈 ‘대상’…5년 만에 ‘올해의 아티스트’ (한겨레). Summarized and rewritten for international readers.
