Conroversy surrounds Video Music Award . for K-pop

Black Pink (top) was nominated in MTV's new K-pop category, which was one by BTS (below).

As expected, BTS, the Korean boy band that has taken the US music industry by storm, won the award Monday (Aug. 26) night for best K-pop group for their song "Boy With Luv."

The group was the first awardee in the newly created category that has been shrouded in controverrsy since it was created last month by MTV Video Music Awards. BTS was not present to receive their award because its members were on hiatus after a grueling world tour.

On its face, it looks like the award was created so that BTS, the wildly popular group, and the other K-pop groups that are making the trip over the Pacific and playing to packed venues and having their music on the Billboard charts.

K-pop fans have been the most vocal in expressing their concern that the category was MTV's "suspicious at best and borderline racist," according to Variety.

By creating the brand new award, MTV is sneakingly appeasing the legions of K-pop fans and at the same time excluding the K-pop groups from the marquee awards like Video of the Year or Artist of the Year, say the fans.

BTS's impact on the US music scene in such a short time is undeniable. Variety points tout has "outpaced many American, Canadian and Australian nominees, who weren’t exiled to a nationality-based category. BTS outsold the Jonas Brothers, who’re nominated for Artist of the Year. And not only is the septet the first Korean group to debut with a No. 1 album on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, they’re also the first act since the Beatles to have three No. 1 albums in a 12-month period. That aside, 'Boy With Luv' broke all kinds of YouTube records, besting even Taylor Swift."

(Swift won best Best Video and Ariana Grande won Best Artist.)

By those accomplishments, BTS should have been nominated in the prestige categories. BTS was nominated for Best Choreography, Best Collaboration (with Halsey) and Best Art Direction.  

Surprisingly, MTV says they were not aware of the controversy. In a statement, Bruce Gillmer, Head of Music and Music Talent at MTV International, said the addition of the K-pop category was meant to “reflect the rich pop music landscape.”

MTV's attempt to appease the fan base may have backfired based on the reactions on Twitter and the call for a boycott of the show.

“vmas thought adding bts in best group category will save the show but armys already decided to boycott it,” wrote a fan on Twitter.

“Is this supposed to be your attempt at acknowledging that you excluded the world’s top group from the main awards? Because it’s far too late for tokenism. I’ll still be voting for BTS and will happily be doing far better things with my Aug 26 than watching your outdated show,” wrote another.

For the full list of VMA winners, click here. 

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