Poster image shows BTS’ three wins at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards. Image: 2022 Billboard Music Awards via ANN
K-pop sensation BTS won three prizes at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards (BBMAs), one of the three biggest pop music awards in the United States. The group has marked its sixth consecutive year winning a trophy at the music award.
The septet’s wins — top duo or group, top song sales artist and top selling song — were announced by Billboard on social media on Sunday, ahead of the awards show that took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Since becoming the first-ever K-pop band to win a BBMA award in 2017 by snagging the top social artist award, BTS has secured at least one award at the annual event every year. Last year, the boy group was nominated for four awards — top duo or group, top song sales artist, top social artist and top selling song — and won all four.
With the latest wins, BTS now has a total of 12 trophies, becoming the act with the most awards in the history of the event. The group broke Destiny’s Child’s previous record of 11 wins, which remained unbeaten for 17 years.
The act was nominated for seven awards in six categories: top duo or group, top song sales artist, top Billboard global artist (excluding U.S.), top selling song, top Billboard global song (excluding U.S.) and top rock song. It was the most nominations the group had ever received at the BBMAs.
BTS nabbed the trophy in the top duo or group category, beating strong competitors including Silk Sonic and British rock band Glass Animals, who won the top honors at the 64th Grammy Awards. The win marked the boy group’s third time winning the award in the category, following 2019 and 2021.
The group won top song sales artist for the second straight year, after being nominated alongside big-name pop artists, including Adele, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran and Walker Hayes. It also clinched the trophy for the top selling song category for the second time in a row with the megahit “Butter.” The septet’s other hit song, “Permission to Dance,” was also nominated in the same category.
BTS did not attend the ceremony as it is preparing for the new album “Proof,” which is set to drop on June 10. The band did not deliver an acceptance speech but tweeted, “Thank you BBMAs and BTS Army!”
Alongside BTS, Drake, Taylor Swift, Kanye West, Justin Bieber, the Kid Laroi and Olivia Rodrigo also scored some major wins at the 2022 BBMAs.
Drake won in five categories: top artist, top male artist, top rap artist, top rap male artist and top rap album for “Certified Lover Boy.” The rapper extended his record as the most decorated winner in the awards show’s history with 34 wins.
Taylor Swift, who has the second most-ever awards with 29 wins, claimed four awards, including top Billboard 200 artist, top country artist, top country female artist and top country album for “Red (Taylor’s Version).” Silk Sonic, comprised of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, won the duo’s first-ever award for top R&B song through “Leave the Door Open.”
Five new categories were created this year to celebrate achievements on global and viral charts. Olivia Rodrigo and Ed Sheeran won top Billboard global 200 artist and top Billboard global artist (excluding U.S.), respectively. The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber’s “Stay” was named the top Billboard global 200 song and top Billboard global song (excluding U.S.). The top viral song award went to Doja Cat ft. SZA’s “Kiss Me More.”
The Billboard Music Awards is one of the three biggest U.S. pop music awards, along with the American Music Awards and the Grammy Awards. The finalists of this year’s awards were determined by performances on the Billboard charts from April 10 last year to March 26 this year. JB
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