BTS did not attend the first night of the 2018 Mnet Asian Music Awards, but the group’s presence was still felt, as its team swept four awards at the event. The AMAs are being spread across three events in three countries this year.

Held Monday at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, the first part of the three-day event saw awards being presented to rookie artists who had debuted recently, which was why BTS did not attend.

The event also recognised the efforts of those behind K-pop groups, including those who have worked with BTS.

The best choreographer award went to Son Sung-deuk, an in-house choreographer and performance director at Big Hit Entertainment, while Pdogg, chief producer at Big Hit Entertainment, was named best producer. Both have worked with BTS since the group’s debut in 2013.

Art director and production designer MU:E won best art director for her work in BTS’ Billboard-charting hit “Fake Love” released in May.

BTS also celebrates surpassing 10 million album sales since their debut, just in South Korea: BTS marks 10 million albums sold since debut. The band has also scored two Number One albums on the Billboard Top 200 this year and started to penetrate the US music market.

BTS perform at the American Music Awards 2017

Bang Si-hyuk, the founder and CEO of Big Hit Entertainment, was named this year’s best executive producer. He was credited for “bringing up BTS with an outstanding capacity.”

Meanwhile, the designer for the septet’s Love Yourself: Tear album, HuskyFox, was recently nominated for best recording package at the upcoming 61st Annual Grammy Awards.

Although absent from Monday’s ceremony, BTS is attending the second and third award events held in Japan and Hong Kong tomorrow (Wednesday) and Friday.

“FIFA, world soccer’s ruling body, is also calling on the Thai authorities to allow for the return of AlAraibi to Australia at “the earliest possible moment”.

Australia’s Foreign Minister Marise Payne is urging Thai authorities to release a footballer who holds a refugee status in Australia and who has been detained in Bangkok for nearly two weeks.

Hakeem AlAraibi, a former member of Bahrain’s national soccer team who has been critical of the country’s government, was arrested in Thailand on November 27 based on an Interpol notice issued at Bahrain’s request.

AlAraibi was convicted of vandalising a police station in Bahrain and sentenced to 10 years in prison in absentia. He has denied any wrongdoing.

“Australia is concerned by the ongoing detention of Mr. Hakeem Ali AlAraibi and calls for his immediate return to Australia,” Payne said in a statement published on the ministry’s website.

“Returning Mr. AlAraibi to Bahrain, from where he fled, would contravene his rights under international human rights law.”

At a court hearing on Friday, AlAraibi was served with a formal arrest warrant, which could pave the way for a possible extradition to Bahrain.

Read more from Channel News Asia HERE.