American Music Awards – BTS, first Asian band to win Artists of the Year
South Korean band BTS had a huge night at the American Music Awards. They not only won the highly coveted ‘Artist of the Year’, they also picked up the Best pop song of the year and Best duo or group. Significantly, BTS are the first Asian musicians to pick up the main award in an otherwise white-washed US pop industry.
Accepting the Artist of the Year award, their third visit to the podium on the night, 27 year old leader RM, and the only member who speaks fluent English, said that “this whole thing is a miracle”.
“Seriously, we will never take this for granted. Four years ago, we had given this first-time-ever TV live performance at this AMAs stage for ‘DNA’ (the song has recorded over 1.3 billion views on YouTube since its debut). We were so excited and nervous at the time”.
(That AMA performance was BTS’s first live performance on US TV).
“It’s been a long and amazing ride since then, but nobody could have ever bet on the odds of us standing here receiving this award.”
The band’s Best Pop song award went to their single “Butter” which spent 10 weeks this year at the #1 spot on the Billboard Singles Chart, another breakthrough achievement by the band of 7 members who have steadily broken through music’s bamboo curtain since they debuted in 2013.
Having struggled their way up the gruelling K-Pop (Korean pop music) ladder, BTS always had their eye on winning an AMA or, heaven-forbid, a Grammy (they were nominated for a 2021 Grammy but didn’t win their category for Best Song “Dynamite”.)
They kept busy during Covid doing online concerts and crafting 2 English-language pop bops – “Dynamite” and “Butter”. These have been the only English-language songs the band have recorded, besides a Steve Aioki collab “Waste it on me”. In the past month they’ve also released a collaboration with Coldplay “My Universe”, which is in Korean and English.
Bottomline, they developed their enormous global popularity on the back of Korean-language lyrics!
At their acceptance speech all 7 had a moment on the microphone, all except RM in rehearsed English or in their native Korean language. RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook were humble and excited at their major US breakthrough.
“Seven boys from Korea, united by a love for music, met the love and support from all the ARMY all over the world.”
That ‘Army’ is the band’s huge fan base around the world, probably the largest fandom of any band as BTS has weaponised social media over the past 8 years to reach audiences in a way that’s been impossible in the days before social media.
PHOTO: BTS perform their collaboration with Coldplay, “My Universe” at the 2021 AMA
BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan) have shared thousands of candid moments, 2 hugely popular TV series, and a library of dance practice clips, or just goofing around, which has endeared them to a global fan base.
In other AMA moments, Taylor Swift broke her own record when she won favourite female pop artist for the 7th time and topped her previous record for most AMA wins of all time. She also won for best pop album “Evermore” during the show and now has a total of 34 AMA trophies.
Olivia Rodrigo, who had 7 AMA nominations on the night, won New artist of the year.
Winning 3 awards each were Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion (who also did a collaboration withe BTS this year with a version of “Butter”). Ed Sheeran won Favourite male pop artist while Drake and Megan Thee Stallion won Favourite male and female hip-hop artists.
American Music Awards nominees are selected based on fan interactions with their favourite music and artists, including streaming, album sales, song sales, radio airplay, social engagement) that are tracked by Billboard and its data partner MRC Data.
Complete list of 2021 American Music Award nominees and winners…
New Artist of the Year
Winner: Olivia Rodrigo
24kGoldn
Giveon
Masked Wolf
The Kid LAROI
Artist of the Year
Winner: BTS
Ariana Grande
Drake
Taylor Swift
Olivia Rodrigo
The Weeknd
Collaboration of the year
“Mood” – 24kGoldn ft. iann dior
“DÁKITI” – Bad Bunny & Jhay Cortez
“Go Crazy” – Chris Brown & Young Thug
Winner: “Kiss Me More” – Doja Cat ft. SZA
“Peaches” – Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar & Giveon
Favourite trending song
“Buss It” – Erica Banks
“Beggin’” – Måneskin
Winner: “Body” – Megan Thee Stallion
“drivers license” – Olivia Rodrigo
“Adderall (Corvette Corvette)” – Popp Hunna
Favourite music video
“Leave The Door Open” – Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak)
“Up” – Cardi B
Winner: “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” – Lil Nas X
“drivers license” – Olivia Rodrigo
“Save Your Tears” – The Weeknd
Favourite male pop artist
Drake
Winner: Ed Sheeran
Justin Bieber
Lil Nas X
The Weeknd
Favourite female pop artist
Ariana Grande
Doja Cat
Dua Lipa
Olivia Rodrigo
Winner: Taylor Swift
Favourite pop duo or group
AJR
Winner: BTS
Glass Animals
Maroon 5
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak)
Favourite pop album
“positions” – Ariana Grande
“Future Nostalgia” – Dua Lipa
“sour” – Olivia Rodrigo
Winner: “evermore” – Taylor Swift
“F— LOVE” – The Kid LAROI
Favourite pop song
Winner: “Butter” – BTS
“Kiss Me More” – Doja Cat ft. SZA
“Levitating” – Dua Lipa
“drivers license” – Olivia Rodrigo
“Save Your Tears (Remix)” – The Weeknd & Ariana Grande
Favourite male country artist
Chris Stapleton
Jason Aldean
Winner: Luke Bryan
Luke Combs
Morgan Wallen
Favourite female country artist
Winner: Carrie Underwood
Gabby Barrett
Kacey Musgraves
Maren Morris
Miranda Lambert
Favourite country duo or group
Winner: Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Lady A
Old Dominion
Zac Brown Band
Favourite country album
“Starting Over” – Chris Stapleton
Winner: “Goldmine” – Gabby Barrett
“Hey World” – Lee Brice
“Born Here Live Here Die Here” – Luke Bryan
“Dangerous: The Double Album” – Morgan Wallen
Favourite country song
“Starting Over” – Chris Stapleton
“Famous Friends” – Chris Young & Kane Brown
Winner: “The Good Ones” – Gabby Barrett
“Forever After All” – Luke Combs
“Fancy Like” – Walker Hayes
Delivery: Varies
Favourite male hip-hop artist
Winner: Drake
Lil Baby
Moneybagg Yo
Polo G
Pop Smoke
Favourite female hip-hop artist
Cardi B
Coi Leray
Erica Banks
Winner: Megan Thee Stallion
Saweetie
Favourite hip-hop album
“Certified Lover Boy” – Drake
“Legends Never Die” – Juice WRLD
Winner: “Good News” – Megan Thee Stallion
“Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon” – Pop Smoke
“SoulFly” – Rod Wave
Favourite hip-hop song
Winner: “Up” – Cardi B
“Lemonade” – Internet Money ft. Gunna, Don Toliver & NAV
“Calling My Phone” – Lil Tjay ft. 6LACK
“RAPSTAR” – Polo G
“What You Know Bout Love” – Pop Smoke
Favourite male R&B artist
Chris Brown
Giveon
Tank
Winner: The Weeknd
Usher
Favourite female R&B artist
Winner: Doja Cat
H.E.R.
Jazmine Sullivan
Jhené Aiko
SZA
Favourite R&B Album
Winner: “Planet Her” – Doja Cat
“When It’s All Said And Done… Take Time” – Giveon
“Back of My Mind” – H.E.R.
“Heaux Tales” – Jazmine Sullivan
“Missunderstood” – Queen Naija
Favourite R&B song
“Leave The Door Open” – Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak)
“Go Crazy” – Chris Brown & Young Thug
“Heartbreak Anniversary” – Giveon
“Damage” – H.E.R.
“Pick Up Your Feelings” – Jazmine Sullivan
Favourite male Latin artist
Winner: Bad Bunny
J Balvín
Maluma
Ozuna
Rauw Alejandro
Favourite female Latin artist
Becky G
Kali Uchis
Karol G
Natti Natasha
Rosalía
Favourite Latin duo or group
Winner: Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga
Calibre 50
Eslabon Armado
La Arrolladora Banda El Limón De René Camacho
Los Dos Carnales
Favourite Latin album
Winner: “EL ÚLTIMO TOUR DEL MUNDO” – Bad Bunny
“Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios)” – Kali Uchis
“KG0516” – Karol G
“Papi Juancho” – Maluma
“Afrodisíaco” – Rauw Alejandro
Favourite Latin song
“Dákiti” – Bad Bunny & Jhay Cortez
“LA NOCHE DE ANOCHE” – Bad Bunny x Rosalía
“Pepas” – Farruko
“telepatía” – Kali Uchis
“Hawái (Remix)” – Maluma & The Weeknd
Favourite rock artist
AJR
All Time Low
Foo Fighters
Glass Animals
Winner: Machine Gun Kelly
Favourite inspirational artist
CAIN
Winner: Carrie Underwood
Elevation Worship
Lauren Daigle
Zach Williams
Favourite gospel artist
Winner: Kanye West
Kirk Franklin
Koryn Hawthorne
Maverick City Music
Tasha Cobbs Leonard
Favourite dance/electronic artist
David Guetta
Illenium
Winner: Marshmello
Dj Regard
Tiësto
