New York: Earlier today, Billboard reported that MTV‘s Video Music Awards (VMAs) could be dropping the category “Best Group.”
BTS Army took to Twitter to mercilessly slam the award show after they got the news on social media.
Following Billboard’s report, many BTS fans voiced their opinions about why the decision to remove “Best Group” would be problematic. Without “Best Group,” BTS and other K-Pop acts would have one less category in which they could compete (and win) against western artists.
Fans also pointed to the controversial “Best K-Pop” category that was introduced in 2019, the same year “Best Group” was reinstated. At the time, fans felt that “Best K-Pop” was created to segregate K-Pop artists and prevent them from winning awards from the VMAs’ major categories.
However, within an hour of the news of the ‘Best Group’ category being dropped this year, VMAs took to their official Twitter account, asking Army to “chill” because they “still doing Best Group”.
Social media users believed that VMAs got the category back within an hour of dropping it only after they got schooled by the BTS Army.
…and GUYS chill, we’re still doing Best Group! pic.twitter.com/O5dwX3Twhq
— Video Music Awards (@vmas) July 19, 2021
“Best Group” (originally “Best Group Video”) was introduced to the VMAs back in 1984. After being awarded for 23 years to legendary artists, including U2, Coldplay, and Backstreet Boys, “Best Group” went on a 12-year hiatus. It returned in 2019 as a socially voted category. In previous years, the “Best Group” winner was chosen by industry professionals rather than the public.
