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For the first time, the American Music Awards (AMAs) recognized the growing influence of Korean popular music and created a Favorite K-pop Artist category that boasts some of the greatest names in the industry as its nominees, including BTS and BLACKPINK.
2022 AMAs: Nominees of the newly created Favourite K-pop Artist category, fan reaction explored
HYBE artists BTS, SEVENTEEN, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, and Korea’s top girl groups BLACKPINK and TWICE have been nominated in the Favorite K-pop Artist categories at the 2022 AMAs.
BTS has been the torchbearer at the American Music Awards (AMAs) for the longest time. This year, they are leading with two major nominations - Favorite K-pop Artist and Favorite Pop Duo or Group.
The American Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony meant to honor the best musical talent in America or artists that have created waves in the country.
The 2022 AMA nominations were announced on Thursday, October 13. These are based on “key fan interactions,” as slated by music publication Billboard. The data was collected between September 2021 and September 2022, and the K-pop artists mentioned above qualified for this category at the 2022 AMAs.
However, it seems like the newly introduced Favorite K-pop Artist category at the 2022 AMAs has gotten mixed reactions from fans.
An ARMY pointed out that segregating BTS into the “K-pop category” is unfair, especially when they are known to be global pop stars and deserve nominations in the main categories at the 2022 AMAs.
Fans also find it unfair that Korean pop is getting a separate category altogether while Australian and Canadian pop stars are counted in the mainstream categories at the 2022 AMAs.
They have also pointed out that a separate K-pop category was created so that they don’t eat into other American artists’ chances of winning in the mainstream categories.
Some fans might be taking this with a pinch of salt, but many others are taking this as a positive development and credit BTS for the same by saying they have paved the way for other artists.
Fans of TWICE and BLACKPINK are happy that their favorite girl groups have snagged a spot in the nomination category as well.
Favorite K-pop Artist isn’t the only new category added to the 2022 AMAs. Favorite Rock Song and Rock Album and Favorite Afrobeats are some of the categories added as well.
K-pop as a genre has seen exponential growth in the last decade amongst international, particularly western fans. Some speculate that this has compelled Western Award shows to create separate categories for K-pop artists.
MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs) and MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) introduced the ‘Best K-pop” category long back. Despite criticism from fans and critics, these awards have sustained for long.
BLACKPINK earned a total of four nominations at the 2022 MTV EMAs. The major ones include a nomination for their title track, Pink Venom, in the Best Video category and a solo nomination for Lisa in the Best K-pop category.
HYBE artists BTS, SEVENTEEN, and TOMORROW X TOGETHER bagged nominations in various categories at the 2022 MTV EMAs as well, solidifying the popularity of K-pop in the west.
TWICE also earned a nomination in the Best K-pop category.
2022 AMAs: BTS have earned their fourth consecutive nomination in the Favourite Pop Duo or Group Category
For the 2022 AMAs, BTS has bagged another nomination in the Favorite Pop Duo or Group for the fourth consecutive year alongside Coldplay, with whom they collaborated on the soulful track My Universe, Imagine Dragons, Måneskin, and OneRepublic.
BTS has been nominated in various categories over the years and has won at least once in each category they have been nominated in.
In 2021, BTS swept the awards in Favourite Pop Duo or Group, Favourite Pop song for their summer bop Butter, and Artist of the Year categories.
Fans can cast their votes on Twitter by tagging the 2022 AMA's official handle.
The 2022 AMAs will air on November 20, 2022, at 8 pm ET on ABC Network.
