Grammy-nominated K-pop super group BTS has been named Time magazine’s Entertainer of the Year.
Ahead of announcing its annual Person of the Year award on Thursday night, Time hailed BTS and its members RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook with the Entertainer of the Year award.
During Time’s first-ever Person of the Year telecast, BTS will perform the hit song “Dynamite,” which was included on “BE,” the group’s second album of 2020.
BTS earned its first major Grammy nomination last month for best pop duo/group performance for the hit song “Dynamite.” At the 2021 Grammys ceremony, the group will face off against J Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny and Tainy (“Un Dia”), Justin Bieber featuring Quavo (“Intentions”), Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande (“Rain on Me”), and Taylor Swift featuring Bon Iver (“Exile”).
“BTS isn’t just the biggest K-pop act on the charts. They’ve become the biggest band in the world —full stop. Between releasing multiple albums, breaking every type of record and appearing in these extemporaneous livestreams in 2020, BTS ascended to the zenith of pop stardom. And they did it in a year defined by setbacks, one in which the world hit pause and everyone struggled to maintain their connections….But BTS’s bonds to their international fan base, called ARMY, deepened amid the pandemic, a global racial reckoning and worldwide shutdowns,” wrote Time’s Raisa Bruner.
In addition to honoring BTS, Time celebrated LeBron James as its Athlete of the Year. The highly anticipated Person of the Year, Businessperson of the Year and Guardians of the Year will be announced at 10 p.m. PT Thursday.