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BTS win most successful global recording artist award – again

By Chris Cooke | Published on Friday 25 February 2022

Who were the most successful recording artists on a global basis in 2021? BTS of course. You all knew that already, obviously. But now we have confirmation from the good people at the International Federation Of The Phonographic Industry who have done some maths.

The trade body has handed the K-pop group its Global Recording Artist Of The Year Award which is, in case you wondered, awarded based on “an artist’s or group’s worldwide performance across digital and physical music formats during the year, from streams to vinyl, and covers their entire body of work”.

IFPI actually does the maths to work out a top ten of the most successful recording artists each year, with whoever is in the number one spot getting the Global Recording Artist Of The Year Award. BTS topped that chart in 2020 too, making them the first act to win the IFPI prize in two consecutive years.

Says IFPI CEO Frances Moore: “BTS’s phenomenal success over the last year is a testament to their creativity, hard work and ongoing commitment to continuing to find ways to bring their music to the world. By performing in three different languages, they demonstrate their extraordinarily unique global appeal and their dynamic and passionate fanbase has helped to make them the first artists in history to top the Global Artist Chart in two consecutive years”.

“We would like to wish RM, Jin, SUGA, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook and all who work on their team huge congratulations on winning the Global Recording Artist of the Year Award and on another year of brilliant success”, Moore adds.

But who else is in the full top ten? Are there any Brits in there? Yes, there are Brits in there. Two. The obvious two. Here’s the chart…

1. BTS
2. Taylor Swift
3. Adele
4. Drake
5. Ed Sheeran
6. The Weeknd
7. Billie Eilish
8. Justin Bieber
9. Seventeen
10. Olivia Rodrigo