BTS crowned 'Artist of the Year' at American Music Awards

South Korean seven-piece BTS have won Artist of the Year at the American Music Awards (AMAs) for the second consecutive year, cementing their status as one of the world's biggest bands.

The award, considered the ceremony's grand prize, is just the latest crown jewel for the so-called kings of K-pop, who have been on a $1bn world tour since returning from a nearly four-year hiatus in March.

BTS also won "Song of the Summer" for their album's lead single SWIM, while label partners Katseye were dubbed "New Artist of the Year".

GOLDEN, the viral single from the animated hit K-Pop Demon Hunters, was named Song of the Year, and Sabrina Carpenter won Album of the Year for Man's Best Friend.

BTS beat Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Bad Bunny and Lady Gaga in the artist category, as well as Harry Styles, Tame Impala and PinkPantheress in the song category.

While nominees at the AMAs are selected based on commercial performance, winners are decided entirely by public ballot, with votes cast through the AMA website and social media.

That means these awards largely amount to a battle of the fan bases – and there is perhaps no fan base as zealous as the so-called BTS ARMY.

Millions of acolytes around the world devotedly follow every move by band members Jung Kook, Jimin, V, Suga, RM, Jin and j-hope – pouring into stadiums, flooding radio stations with song requests and orchestrating online campaigns to generate traffic and increase rankings on streaming platforms.

The official ARMY fan base – standing for Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth – is a decentralised group spanning dozens of countries, and has been widely credited as fuelling the group's meteoric success.

"Armys, we did it once again!" the band's leader RM, 31, declared during their acceptance speech. "Since this is a fan-voted award, our biggest thanks and gratitude, as always, go to Armys all over the world."

Already the biggest K-pop group of all time, and one of the biggest music acts globally, BTS has only gained more momentum following its return in March with the release of their fifth studio album, Arirang. The band took a break in 2022 for the members' mandatory military service.

BBC's music critic described the record as a "genuine return to form" for the group, noting that they had "rekindled the fire" which fuelled their earlier triumphs.

"We've had such an overwhelming response to this album," J-Hope, 32, said as they accepted the AMA. "Honestly, thank you for embracing Arirang and every single song on this album. We're so grateful."

"Thank you for following us on tour and showing us so much love in every city," added 30-year-old Jimin. "And to all the Armys who always support and love us, thank you. We love you."