BTS land three AMA nods

BTS picked up three 2026 American Music Awards nominations, including Artist of the Year, putting the group back in one of the show’s biggest fields. (theamas.com) The American Music Awards’ 2026 nominees page lists BTS in Artist of the Year, Best Male K-pop Artist and Song of the Summer for “SWIM.” The nominations were announced this week on the awards site. (theamas.com) Artist of the Year places BTS alongside Bad Bunny, Bruno Mars, Harry Styles, Justin Bieber, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Morgan Wallen, Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift. In Song of the Summer, “SWIM” is up against tracks by Alex Warren, Harry Styles, Noah Kahan, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson, Tame Impala and Jennie, and Taylor Swift. (theamas.com) The nominations arrive as BTS pushes its reunion cycle after the group’s break and solo releases. Rolling Stone reported this week that the band is back with the album *ARIRANG* and a world tour that runs until next March. (rollingstone.com) That timing helps explain why the American Music Awards nods are drawing attention beyond a single category. BTS is competing both as a full-group act in a general field and in a K-pop category, a sign that the comeback is being framed as both a fan-driven return and a mainstream awards play. (theamas.com, rollingstone.com) The fan response has centered on voting instructions. Coverage of the nominations says fans can vote through the American Music Awards website and through Instagram in the categories the show has opened to public voting. (filmibeat.com, outlookindia.com) A second thread of attention came from Jin’s new Rolling Stone interview, published April 15. The magazine said Jin discussed his rock-leaning solo work, his love of Coldplay and his goal of touring again with BTS. (rollingstone.com) Billboard’s write-up of that interview said Jin connected his solo tour and rock music back to BTS’s new album and tour plans. Rolling Stone’s broader BTS cover story also reported that Jin pushed to extend the group’s tour itinerary by roughly eight months. (billboard.com, rollingstone.com) For now, the clearest takeaway is the scale of the return: BTS is back in an American awards marquee category, back in fan-voted races, and back in the middle of a reunion campaign built around *ARIRANG*, “SWIM” and a long world tour. (theamas.com, rollingstone.com)