In every award acceptance speech, one thing that most idols in general—and BTS in particular—never forget to do is express their heartfelt gratitude to fans. Phrases such as “this award is possible because of our fans” or “this award belongs to our fans” are mentioned repeatedly. However, these words are neither modesty nor mere courtesy; they are entirely accurate, both literally and figuratively.
At present, many major awards are no longer determined solely by the evaluations of professional judging panels but also take fan voting into account. This factor reflects an artist’s popularity, influence, and the size and cohesion of their fandom. As a result, a victory is not merely a personal achievement for the artist, but a culmination of countless sleepless nights and relentless efforts made by millions of hearts standing behind them.
ARMYs are one of the most representative examples of a fandom that is exceptionally active in voting for their idols. Back when many K-pop fans were still unfamiliar with concepts such as voting on U.S. radio or Western charts like Billboard and the UK Charts, ARMYs had already mastered the scoring systems and propelled BTS to dominate these global rankings. What is even more impressive is that ARMYs have built highly organized voting strategies and, with their mαѕѕive numbers, created an astonishing collective force—giving BTS a competitive edge in every race they enter.
To truly grasp just how far ARMYs are willing to go in voting battles, Jin’s recent win in the “Male Popularity Medal” category at the 40th Golden Disc Awards (GDA) serves as a perfect example. Once voting concluded and Jin was announced as the winner, a mαѕѕ “downfall” of Google Authenticator followed, accompanied by lively discussions about the exhausting nights fans had endured leading up to the result.
One fan wrote, “Google Authenticator downfall will start once GDA voting for Jin ends.” Another commented, “I am done with that app, it's never gonna appear on my phone ever again,,,,, we won, Jin won, that app gots to go now,” while someone else added, “Better not see any of these apps for the next six months.” Meanwhile, another fan shared, “My hands are numb, my whole body is aching, my head is heavy like a rock, but my heart is so full I can't even explain—just grinning like a maniac with tears in my eyes,” vividly capturing the intensity of the voting race.
The reason ARMYs were so eager to “bid farewell” to Google Authenticator on their smartphones immediately after Jin’s victory was simple: they had grown utterly sick of seeing it over the past several days.
To vote for Jin, ARMYs were required to log in and participate through PRIZM, the official platform used for this category. To ensure security and prevent fraudulent activity, PRIZM requires users to enable two-factor authentication (2FA). During this process, many fans chose Google Authenticator to receive verification codes.
However, for ARMYs, voting with just one account is never an option. To maximize the chances of winning, many fans operate multiple accounts. This meant that every time they logged in to vote, they had to retrieve a verification code from Google Authenticator. Some fans even counted that they had used up to 80 accounts during this campaign.
Imagine having to repeatedly open the app, retrieve a code, and enter it—over and over again—under strict time pressure, across dozens or even nearly a hundred accounts. It is no surprise that Google Authenticator quickly became the most haunting “nightmare” of the entire process. This makes it easy to understand why, once Jin officially secured the win, ARMYs rushed to share screenshots of uninstalling the app, jokingly saying, “SEE YOU NEVER,” as a celebratory way of escaping that nightmare.
At this point, it is clear to anyone just how much effort fans invest in voting campaigns like these!
Yet even though the work is unpaid and demands immense time and energy, fans are more than willing to push through the hardship because they believe their idol truly deserves the award. This moment vividly reflects the pure love and pαѕѕion fans hold for their idols—a devotion no less precious than any romantic affection in this world.
