NEW YORK (Associated Press) – BTS has won more than just a year of “Dynamite” – it has become such a global phenomenon that Time magazine named the South Korean group its Artist of the Year award 2020.
The magazine announced a tribute to the seven-member K-Pop boy group on Thursday, hours before a prime-time special that will culminate in the Times’ Person of the Year.
The magazine cited BTS’s massive global presence amid the pandemic, including tapping into its massive fan base to support causes like Black Lives Matter. The band has become a staple in recent award shows, performing their blockbuster # 1 song “Dynamite”. The song in November brought BTS its first Grammy Award nomination.
“There are times when I’m still amazed at all the unimaginable things that happen,” BTS member Suga told Time magazine to an interview that accompanied the advertisement. “But I ask myself, Who would do this, if not us?”
Also on Thursday, Time magazine announced the selection of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James as Athlete of the Year.
Time’s of the Year’s character shortlist, which will be announced on NBC’s special program at 10 p.m. EST, are: President-elect Joe Biden, President Donald Trump, Frontline Healthcare Workers and Dr. Anthony Fauci, and the Racial Justice Movement .
