People Are Upset BTS Won a Billboard Music Award Because They Are Asian

South Korean boy band BTS became the first K-pop group to be nominated and win a Billboard award for the Top Social Artist, surpassing Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, and Shawn Mendes.

Also known as Bangtan Boys, BTS made history during Sunday night’s 2017 Billboard Music Awards, and there was plenty of support from fans who call themselves the “Army”.

“#BTSBBMAS,” the hashtag for the group on Twitter, was used more than 300 million times alone before the awards, according to BuzzFeed.

However, some netizens were not having any of it, with ignorant people spouting racist views:

One user, who has since deleted her Twitter account, said she couldn’t understand what the group was saying when they accepted their award.

But band member Rap Monster, who spoke on behalf of BTS, spoke in English for the majority of his speech, saying: “We still cannot believe that we’re standing here on this stage at the Billboard Music Awards.“

The BTS “Army” also clapped back with receipts, explaining why the group’s win is such a huge and historic moment for Asian representation:

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Singer and songwriter Halsey concurs as she congratulated BTS on their win, telling the band: “I love you! Your videos are so cool!”

Congrats on the win guys! This is a massive moment for kpop! Love!!!!!!! #BTS

A post shared by halsey (@iamhalsey) on May 21, 2017 at 6:43pm PDT

“Congrats on the win guys! This is a massive moment for kpop! Love!!!!!!! #BTS,” she wrote on Instagram.

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