LOS ANGELES — BTS won three awards at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, while Blackpink member Lisa became the first K-pop solo artist to win best pop at the ceremony held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
BTS won all three categories in which it received nominations: song of the year, best K-pop and best group. The group did not attend the ceremony.
The group won song of the year for “Swim,” the lead track from its fifth album, “Arirang.” The victory made BTS the first K-pop group to win the category, five years after it became the first Korean act nominated for the award with “Dynamite.”
“Swim” also won best K-pop, defeating Blackpink, Cortis, Katseye, Le Sserafim and Lisa.
BTS also won best group for the fifth time. The group previously won the award four consecutive years from 2019 to 2022. The latest victory came as all seven members resumed group activities following their mandatory military service.
In a statement released through Big Hit Music, BTS thanked its fans, known as Army, and described “Arirang” as a “new beginning” for the group.
The awards came as BTS continues its first full-group world tour since its military hiatus. The tour’s South American leg is scheduled to begin Oct. 2 in Bogota, Colombia.
Lisa won best pop for “Dream,” beating Ariana Grande, Charli xcx, Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, Tate McRae and Taylor Swift.
Lisa thanked MTV, her collaborators and her fans, known as Lilies, after receiving the award. BTS previously won best pop as a group in 2020 for “On.”
“Dream,” from Lisa’s debut solo album “Alter Ego,” received four nominations at this year’s VMAs, including best pop, best K-pop, best cinematography and best editing.
Lisa also performed “Sawadika,” a prerelease song from her upcoming EP “Press Play,” which is scheduled for release Oct. 23.
Other K-pop nominees did not win awards. Rookie boy group Cortis received three nominations but lost best new artist to Sienna Spiro, while Katseye also went without a trophy after receiving nominations in four categories.
Katseye had won Push Performance of the Year at the 2025 VMAs for “Touch.”
