BTS, BLACKPINK lead K-pop charge in Best Group race at MTV VMAs
K-pop boy band BTS performs at the iHeartRadio Music Festival at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., Friday (local time). Reuters-Yonhap
K-pop-linked acts make up half of the Best Group race at this year's MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), with BTS seeking to reclaim a title it held four years running and BLACKPINK looking to defend the trophy it took home last year.
MTV announced nominees for four social media vote categories Friday (local time), naming BTS, BLACKPINK, rookie boy group CORTIS and global girl group KATSEYE for Best Group. They will compete against British girl group FLO and U.S. acts Fuerza Regida, Geese and Twenty One Pilots.
The addition brings BTS' nomination tally to three for the event, following earlier nods for Song of the Year and Best K-pop for "SWIM," the lead track of its fifth studio album, "ARIRANG." The septet won Best Group four consecutive times from 2019 to 2022, the most by any act in the category's history.
CORTIS also has three nominations. Last month, the group earned its first-ever VMA nods for Best New Artist and for Best K-pop with April's "REDRED." The five-member group, which launched just over a year ago, is the most recently debuted act in the Best Group lineup.
Girl group KATSEYE performs during its "THE WILDWORLD TOUR" at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, Sept. 11. The group is performing as a quartet on the tour's European and U.K. leg while members Sophia and Manon are on hiatus. AFP-Yonhap
KATSEYE received four nominations in total, including nods for Song of the Summer with "Hootie Frutti" and Best Choreography and Best K-pop for "PINKY UP."
Jennie of BLACKPINK also joined the Song of the Summer race with "Dracula," a remix of Australian act Tame Impala's hit featuring her vocals. Bandmate Lisa had already secured four nominations for "DREAM," featuring Japanese actor Kentaro Sakaguchi, while the group as a whole is up for Best K-pop with "JUMP."
Fans can vote for Best Group on MTV's Instagram Stories in a bracket-style format from Monday to Thursday (Eastern Standard Time). Voting for Song of the Summer runs from Saturday to Sunday.
The ceremony, hosted by American rapper and songwriter Snoop Dogg, will be held Sunday at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.