BTS became the first group to win the MTV Video Music Award for Best K-Pop in 2019.
The category was introduced at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards. BTS won for “Boy With Luv,” its collaboration with American singer Halsey, from the album Map of the Soul: Persona.
The new category reflected the increasing presence of Korean pop in the international music industry. BTS’s victory was especially notable because it established the award’s first winner and recognized a Korean-language pop act at a major United States music ceremony.
The award has sometimes been confused with MTV’s general Video of the Year category or with the separate Best New Artist award. Best K-Pop is a genre-focused category, and its nominees have included several major South Korean acts.