VMAs Receive Backlash For “Racist” Treatment Of BTS, Segregation Of K-Pop Artists

The nominations for MTV‘s 2019 Video Music Awards (VMAs) have received heavy criticism from BTS fans, who claim that BTS is receiving unfair treatment.

On July 23, MTV revealed their list of nominees. BTS’s “Boy With Luv” (feat. Halsey) was nominated in four categories: “Best Collab”, “Best Choreography”, “Best Art Direction”, and “Best K-Pop” (a brand new category).

Although fans were happy to see BTS’s multiple nominations, many feel that BTS is still not getting the recognition they deserve. Despite their global success, musical achievements, and immense popularity, BTS did not receive nominations in the VMAs major artist categories, including “Video of the Year”. Since MTV had not made their selection criteria public, it is unclear how nominees are selected, but fans believe that BTS has both the numbers and quality needed to earn them a “Video of the Year” nomination.

In 2019, BTS is taking the entire music industry by storm, and they have the stats to prove it. In its first 24 hours, “Boy With Luv” MV raked in 74.6 million views, breaking the Guinness World Record for the most-viewed YouTube video/MV in a day. BTS have also achieved an unprecedented record on the Billboard Charts: 75 top 10 hits.

With Map of the Soul: Persona, BTS now has three albums that have reached No. 1 on the “Billboard 200” chart in just a year. The Beatles are the only other group to have ever achieved this. In just one month, BTS’s Love Yourself: Speak Yourself world tour grossed $51.7 million, making it the top-grossing world tour of 2019.

BTS also produces high quality music videos, as proved by their “Best Art Direction” nomination. “Boy With Luv” MV has earned praise from critics, and it currently has more views than every single video listed for “Video of the Year”. Considering BTS’s achievements, fans’ criticism is understandable. Going by numbers alone, BTS’s “Boy With Luv” is, at the very least, on par with the “Video of the Year” nominees.

The VMAs new “Best K-Pop” category has also received backlash and sparked the hashtag #VMAsracist.

Many fans believe that “Best K-Pop” is segregating K-Pop artists from other VMAs categories and preventing them from winning awards in major categories.

Here's what we're mad about:
1) BTS have outsold the artists nominated in the main categories yet they shoved in the KPOP category
2) Songs in other languages haven't been nominated in separate categories so KPOP shouldn't either
3) 'Who do you love' is in English!- #VMASracist

— Trxnh (@zxphyrr) July 24, 2019