K-Pop sensation BTS have scooped the 2020 Global Recording Artist of the Year Award from IFPI, the organization that represents the global recorded music industry.
The band released two chart-topping albums in 2020 – Map of the Soul: 7 and Be.
Frances Moore, chief executive of IFPI, said: “BTS are a global phenomenon.They truly show the power that music has to bring joy and happiness to people the world over. We would like to congratulate RM, Jin, Suga, J-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook and we are excited to see what they have in store next.”
The boyband beat Taylor Swift, who took the crown last year, into second place. Drake came third, with The Weeknd fourth and Billie Eilish at number five.
They are the first non-Western act to win, and the first whose songs are not predominantly sung in English.
BTS, also known as the Bangtan Boys, were formed in 2013 and consists of seven members – Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook – who come from all over South Korea.
The group had a hugely successful 2020, becoming the first Korean pop act to reach no.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The band also named entertainer of the year by Time magazine.