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| ▲ This Reuters photo shows BTS accepting the Favorite Pop Song award during the 2021 American Music Awards at the Microsoft Theater on Nov. 21, 2021, in Los Angeles. (Yonhap) |
(ATTN: ADDS more info on congratulatory messages for BTS in paras 15-17, details on NKOTB member in para 13, and photos)
SEOUL, Nov. 22 (Yonhap) -- Global BTS fans--known as ARMY--around the world cheered on as K-pop juggernauts became the first Asian act to win artist of the year, considered the grand prize, at the American Music Awards (AMA) on Monday (Korean time).
From the moment BTS members appeared on the red carpet, fans quickly spread the news through various social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram, adding purple heart emojis, BTS' symbolic color, on their posts.
"BTS has swept all three awards. "I'm so proud," a fan on Twitter wrote while congratulating the members.
A user named "Kay Smith" added, "I feel like a proud mother of all seven members as I watched my favorite artist BTS win all three prizes at the awards ceremony."
In addition, fans celebrated BTS in their respective languages such as English, Japanese, Thai, and Spanish.
Videos on BTS' members entering the ceremony venue and edits of the K-pop act's joint performance of "My Universe" with British band Coldplay quickly exceeded 300,000 views in less than three hours since its release.
The members of BTS didn't forget to repay their love for ARMY while accepting their prizes at the award show.
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| ▲ This Reuters photo shows BTS performing "Butter" during the 2021 American Music Awards on Nov. 21, 2021, at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Yonhap) |
After winning the Favorite Pop Duo or Group category, BTS' oldest member Jin expressed his gratitude to the fans by saying, "(ARMY) are our universe," incorporating the title of the collaboration song "My Universe" with Coldplay.
Jimin also shouted "Thank you" to the audience several times in his speech when the septet won the Favorite Pop Song category.
Meanwhile, BTS' status as global stars was once again proven during the awards ceremony.
People, a popular American weekly magazine, and other media outlets were busy interviewing BTS while also updating news about the K-pop boy band. The award show, which was broadcast live on U.S. TV channel ABC, captured BTS members' reactions to the show several times on camera.
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| ▲ This photo captured from New Kids On The Block's official Twitter account, shows the American boy band posing with K-pop group BTS. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
American boy band New Kids On The Block (NKOTB), which enjoyed popularity in the '80s through 90's, posted a photo with BTS during the awards ceremony and wrote "Look who we bumped into on the #AMAs red carpet! Congrats on all your success, BTS! It was a pleasure meeting you."
One of the NKOTB members, Donnie Wahlberg, also wore a black T-shirt with the words "BTS World Tour" printed in English on a red background.
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| ▲ In this Reuters photo, Coldplay and BTS perform during the 2021 American Music Awards at the Microsoft Theater on Nov. 21, 2021, in Los Angeles. (Yonhap) |
Coldplay, which performed "My Universe" onstage with BTS during the award show, also expressed their affection towards the K-pop group by using seven purple heart emojis to symbolize each BTS members while uploading their joint performance video on Twitter.
Chloe Bailey, an American singer-songwriter who sang "Have Mercy" at the AMAs, reveled to be a "real fan" of BTS.
In an interview with People ahead of the awards ceremony, Chloe said, "I'm just happy to be here amongst all these incredible performers and entertainers and I hope to meet BTS tonight, I love them so much," adding that she would tell them "that I love them and they are the most amazing performers and everything they're doing is incredible."
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| ▲ This photo captured from Chloe Bailey's official Twitter account, shows the American singer posing in a selfie with K-pop group BTS. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
Later on, the singer fulfilled her wish as she took a selfie with BTS on the red carpet and posted it on her Twitter account with the caption "can you see how happy I am."
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