BTS has another major accolade to add to their list of accomplishments. On Thursday, February 24, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) – the official organization that represents the recording industry worldwide – announced that BTS had won the World Recording Artist Award from year for 2021.
The Grammy-nominated K-pop group is now the first act to win the global award for recording artist of the year for two consecutive years; they also won the title in 2020. Taylor Swift and Drake are also two-time winners of the award, but their wins weren’t back-to-back. According to IFPI, the honor is the culmination of an artist or group’s worldwide performance across digital and physical music formats, including streaming and vinyl, and covers their entire discography. .
The honor was announced Thursday during the IFPI Global Artist Chart countdown. BTS — consisting of members RM, Jin, SUGA, J-hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook — faced stiff competition for the top spot. Taylor Swift, Adele, Drake and Ed Sheeran round out the top five on the list, while The Weeknd, Billie Eilish, Justin Bieber, K-pop group SEVENTEEN and Olivia Rodrigo make the top 10.
“BTS’ phenomenal success over the past year is a testament to their creativity, hard work, and continued commitment to continuing to find ways to bring their music to the world,” said Frances Moore, CEO of BTS. the IFPI, in a press release. “By performing in three different languages, they demonstrate their extraordinarily unique global appeal, and their vibrant and passionate fan base has helped make them the first artists in history to top the Global Artist Chart for two consecutive years. .”
He continued, “We wish RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook and everyone working in their team huge congratulations on winning the Global Recording Artist of the Year Award and for another year of brilliant success.”
The 2021 Global Recording Artist of the Year award comes after BTS landed three No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 last year – “Butter”, “Permission to Dance” and “My Universe”. , their collaborative track with English rock band Coldplay. Each track peaked at No. 1 on the all-genre chart, with “Butter” spending 10 of its 20 chart weeks at No. 1.
Up next for the K-pop group is a brief stint in Las Vegas, with a series of four shows taking place at Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders, on April 8, 19, 15 and 16.
