BTS American TV appearances: every time on US TV, from SNL to Fallon

From the SNL stage to Carpool Karaoke, plus a whole week on The Tonight Show: BTS American TV appearances became a chapter of their own in the group’s story. Since 2017, the seven have shown up dozens of times on US television, on talk shows, morning shows and the country’s biggest awards shows.

In this post, we put together BTS’s appearances on American TV in order, year by year, with the official videos of the most memorable moments.

2017: the BTS American TV debut

Their first moment on US network TV came on May 21, 2017, at the Billboard Music Awards: BTS attended the ceremony and won Top Social Artist, becoming the first K-pop group to take home a BBMA. Still without performing.

The performance debut came on November 19, 2017, at the American Music Awards, with “DNA“. They were the first K-pop group invited to perform at the AMAs. In the weeks that followed, the talk shows came:

• Jimmy Kimmel Live! (November): a surprise for fans and their moms, an outdoor concert and “MIC Drop” (remix) on air.
• The Late Late Show with James Corden (November): “DNA” live and the game “Flinch”.
• The Ellen DeGeneres Show (November 27): an interview and “MIC Drop” (remix), the song’s first time on US TV.
• Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve (December 31): “DNA” and “MIC Drop” (remix), recorded in Los Angeles. They were the first K-pop group on the show.

2018: Fake Love, Ellen and the Tonight Show debut

• Billboard Music Awards (May 20): the world premiere performance of “Fake Love”, and a second Top Social Artist in a row.
• The Ellen DeGeneres Show (May 25): “Fake Love” and an interview.
• The Late Late Show with James Corden (June 12): “Fake Love”.
• America’s Got Talent (September 12): “Idol” opening the semifinal, their first performance on an American prime-time series.
• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (September 25): their debut on the show, with an interview, the Fortnite dance challenge and “Idol”.
• Good Morning America (September 26): an interview and “Idol” live, their first time on a national network morning show.

2019: the Grammys, SNL and the Beatles tribute

On February 10, 2019, the seven took the Grammy stage to present Best R&B Album. They were the first Korean artists on the awards stage.

On April 13, 2019, came one of the most remembered moments: BTS was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, with host Emma Stone, and performed “Boy With Luv” live for the first time and “MIC Drop” (remix). They were the first South Korean artists on SNL.

On May 15, it was two shows in the same day. In the morning, BTS kicked off the Good Morning America summer concert series, in Central Park, with fans who had camped out for days. At night, on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, they performed “Boy With Luv” in black and white at the Ed Sullivan Theater, recreating the Beatles’ American TV debut 55 years later, with Colbert in the role of Ed Sullivan.

• Billboard Music Awards (May 1): “Boy With Luv” with Halsey and the Top Duo/Group and Top Social Artist awards.
• American Music Awards (November 24): three awards, accepted by video.
• Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve (December 31): “Make It Right” and “Boy With Luv”, this time live in Times Square.

2020: Carpool Karaoke, Dynamite and BTS Week

The year started with the “Old Town Road All-Stars” at the Grammys (January 26), alongside Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus: the first performance by Korean artists on the awards stage. Two days later, BTS gave “Black Swan” its TV debut on James Corden’s show.

On February 24, three days after the release of Map of the Soul: 7, The Tonight Show did a special episode in New York: a monologue inside the subway, the “Subway Olympics” and “ON” at Grand Central Terminal, with a marching band. The next day, the long-awaited Carpool Karaoke with James Corden aired.

With the pandemic, the performances started being recorded in Seoul. “Dynamite” had its live debut at the MTV VMAs (August 30), where the group won four awards. Then came TODAY (September 10), America’s Got Talent (September 16) and, from September 28 to October 2, BTS Week on The Tonight Show: one performance a night, including “Idol” at Gyeongbokgung Palace, in hanbok.

At the American Music Awards (November 22), BTS gave the first performance of “Life Goes On”, recorded at Jamsil Olympic Stadium, and closed the ceremony.

2021: the Grammys, MTV Unplugged and Artist of the Year

• MTV Unplugged (February 23): “Telepathy”, “Blue & Grey”, “Life Goes On”, “Dynamite” and a cover of Coldplay’s “Fix You”.
• Grammys (March 14): “Dynamite”, recorded in Seoul. It was the first solo performance by a K-pop act at the Grammys and the group’s first nomination.
• Billboard Music Awards (May 23): the TV debut of “Butter” and four awards.
• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (May 25): “Butter” and a lesson in new hand gestures.
• The Tonight Show (July 13 and 14): “Permission to Dance” and “Butter”, on the World Cup Bridge, in Seoul.
• American Music Awards (November 21): in person in Los Angeles, with “My Universe” live alongside Coldplay and “Butter”. BTS became the first Asian act to win Artist of the Year at the AMAs.
• The Late Late Show with James Corden (December): the 1,000th episode and the “Crosswalk Concert”, with “Butter”, “Permission to Dance” and “Dynamite” on a Los Angeles crosswalk.

2022 to 2025: the last Grammys and military service

On April 3, 2022, BTS gave their first in-person performance on the Grammy stage, in Las Vegas, with a spy-movie take on “Butter”. After that, the members focused on their solo projects and military service, and the full group didn’t return to American TV between 2023 and 2025.

2026: BTS returns to American TV

With the album ARIRANG released on March 20, BTS returned to The Tonight Show on March 25 and 26, 2026, in segments taped at the Guggenheim Museum, in New York: an interview, “SWIM” on the first night and “2.0” on the second. It was the group’s first late-night talk show appearance since 2021.

• American Music Awards (May 25, CBS): the opening with “Hooligan”, recorded at the ARIRANG Tour show in Las Vegas, plus a live appearance. The group won Artist of the Year for the second time, along with Song of the Summer (“SWIM”) and Best Male K-Pop Artist.
• World Cup Final (July 19): the halftime show of the final, at MetLife Stadium, with the US broadcast announced on FOX and Telemundo.
• iHeartRadio Music Festival (September 18): “SWIM”, “2.0”, “MIC Drop” and “FYA”, broadcast on iHeart radio stations and on Disney+ and Hulu.
• MTV VMAs (September 27): BTS didn’t attend the ceremony, but won Song of the Year with “SWIM”, the first K-pop group in the category, plus Best K-Pop and Best Group.

Want to see every award? They’re all on our BTS awards page. Billboard also put together a full timeline of the appearances.

FAQ about BTS American TV appearances

What was BTS’s first performance on American TV?

It was “DNA”, at the American Music Awards, on November 19, 2017. Before that, the group had already appeared at the May 2017 Billboard Music Awards, when they won Top Social Artist, but without performing.

Has BTS been on Saturday Night Live?

Yes. On April 13, 2019, BTS was the musical guest on SNL and performed “Boy With Luv” and “MIC Drop” (remix). They were the first South Korean artists on the show.

What was BTS Week on Jimmy Fallon’s show?

It was a whole week of BTS on The Tonight Show, from September 28 to October 2, 2020, with one performance a night, including “Idol” at Gyeongbokgung Palace, in Seoul.

Did BTS do Carpool Karaoke?

Yes. BTS’s Carpool Karaoke with James Corden aired on February 25, 2020.

Did BTS return to American TV in 2026?

Yes. On March 25 and 26, 2026, the group returned to The Tonight Show, with “SWIM” and “2.0”, and then went to the American Music Awards, on May 25.

Which American TV shows has BTS been on?

Among others: The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Late Late Show with James Corden, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Saturday Night Live, Good Morning America, TODAY, America’s Got Talent and MTV Unplugged, plus awards shows like the AMAs, the Billboard Music Awards, the Grammys and the VMAs.

So, what’s your favorite BTS appearance on American TV? Tell us in the comments. 💜