BTS wins 2023 MAMA Award for Worldwide Icon of the Year

K-pop megastar BTS won a top honor at the 2023 MAMA Awards on the first of the two-night event Tuesday.

The septet was named as the winner of the Samsung Galaxy Worldwide Icon of the Year at what is billed as the biggest annual year-end K-pop awards ceremony, held at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo.

The Worldwide Icon of the Year is one of the big four categories out of the 20 awards to be presented this year, along with Artist, Song, and Album of the Year. Winners of the three other main awards will be announced on the second and final night, which takes place Wednesday.

It marked the sixth consecutive year for BTS to win the Worldwide Icon of the Year award since 2018.

The group did not attend the ceremony this year as its members are now pausing group activities to fulfill their mandatory military duties in South Korea.

“We, once again, won the Worldwide Icon of the Year. It’s our sixth time. We’re really grateful and thankful to our ARMY for sending us such unchanging love,” the team’s youngest member Jungkook said in a video message.

“We’re very sad that we cannot meet together, but we know we’ll soon meet as our biggest selves, right? We hope you will stay healthy and happy until then,” he said, referring to the group’s global fanbase.

BTS has assured fans that the group will return in 2025 after all members have completed their military service.

According to CJ ENM, an entertainment company that presents the MAMA Awards, the first-day event called “Chapter 1″ awards categories whose winners are determined by global fan votes.

Also among the notable winners during the Chapter 1 event were 10 artists — Tomorrow X Together, BTS, Zerobaseone, Enhypen, Lim Young-woong, Ateez, NCT Dream, Stray Kids, Seventeen and TWICE — who jointly received the Worldwide Fans’ Choice.

Inspiring Achievement, an award given to a legendary artist who has inspired many other artists, went to TVXQ, who celebrate its 20th anniversary this year.

Zerobaseone and Riize shared Favorite New Artist award, given to a rookie who sold over 1 million copies of albums in his or her debut year.

The awards ceremony was and will be streamed live on major online channels, including YouTube, on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Leading K-pop groups such as Seventeen, TREASURE and Le Sserafim will take the stage to perform their hits on the second night.