K-pop band BTS beat competition from the likes of Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez to win the Top Social Artist prize at this year's Billboard Music Awards.

The seven-member group from South Korea, referred to as Bangtan Sonyeondan in Korean or Bangtan Boys/Bulletproof Boy Scouts in English, made their US red carpet debut at the event and later became the first K-pop group to win a Billboard Music Award.

In their acceptance speech BTS said they were honoured at the win and wanted to share it with their fans around the world.

"We still can't believe that we're standing here on this stage at the Billboard Music Awards," they said. "It's so great to see all the artists we admire. To be in this category with such great artists, we're just really honoured.

"And most importantly, this award belongs to all the people around the world that shine their love and light on us by the millions and make BTS proud. Please remember what we say, love yourself."

BTS's music - infused with R&B, hip hop and rap, along with socially conscious lyrical themes of anti-bullying and mental health have helped them rack up 9.7 million followers on social media, and YouTube videos that rack up an average of around 100 million views each.

They topped Billboard's Social 50 chart this year for 25 weeks since their first No.1 in October 2016, becoming the highest-ranking K-pop group on the Billboard 200 around the same time with their album Wings.

Billboard described the success of their recent title track 'Spring Day', which reached No.15 on the Billboard 'Bubbling Under 100' chart, as "unprecedented given K-pop's history on Billboard's singles charts".

Over the past four years BTS have released several EPs, two Japanese albums, and three Korean. While they currently have no plans to release any music in English, the group have performed sold-out shows in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.

Industry experts have suggested that a growing number of K-pop acts touring in the US is down to South Korea's diplomatic spat with China.

Ellen Kong, CEO of Elf Asia, a Hong Kong-based promotion company specialising in K-pop, said the impact of THAAD - China's opposition to the US-backed missile shield that is now housed in South Korea - had been "substantial".

"It's meant China is no longer a viable market for K pop touring acts," she told CNN.

Paul Han, co-founder of K-pop gossip site allkpop, which has 10 million monthly readers, added: "Around 8 years ago or so, it was very rare for K-pop artists to tour in the US, but now it has become quite common."