The 52nd Annual American Music Awards were held on May 25, 2026, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The ceremony was broadcast on CBS and streamed on Paramount+. Queen Latifah hosted the ceremony, 31 years after she first co-hosted in 1995.
๐ค Host and Date
The ceremony took place on May 25, 2026. Queen Latifah hosted the event.
๐ Most Nominated and Awarded Artists
Taylor Swift led nominations with eight. Bruno Mars, BTS, Cardi B, Katseye, Sombr, and Sabrina Carpenter were the most awarded artists, winning three awards each.
๐ New Categories
Twelve new categories were introduced: Breakout Tour, Breakthrough Album of the Year, Best Throwback Song, Best Vocal Performance, Song of the Summer, Breakthrough Pop Artist, Breakthrough Country Artist, Breakthrough Hip-Hop Artist, Breakthrough R&B Artist, Breakthrough Latin Artist, Breakthrough Rock/Alternative Artist, and Best Americana/Folk Artist.
๐๏ธ Special Honors
Karol G was honored with the International Artist Award of Excellence. Billy Idol received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Darius Rucker was honored with the Veterans Voice Award.
๐ถ Performers
Katseye was announced as the first performer on April 21, 2026. Twenty One Pilots and Teddy Swims were announced on May 4 and 5 respectively. Five additional performers were announced on May 7. Teyana Taylor was announced on May 12. Karol G, Billy Idol, and New Kids on the Block were added on May 13, 14, and 15. The Pussycat Dolls and Busta Rhymes were announced on May 18.
๐ Nominees Announcement
Nominees were announced on April 14, 2026. Taylor Swift received the most nominations with eight, followed by Morgan Wallen, Olivia Dean, Sabrina Carpenter, and Sombr with seven each. Alex Warren and Lady Gaga had six nominations each.
| Category | Most Nominations | Most Wins | Special Awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artist | Taylor Swift (8) | Bruno Mars, BTS, Cardi B, Katseye, Sombr, Sabrina Carpenter (3 each) | Karol G (International Artist Award of Excellence) |
| Artist | Morgan Wallen, Olivia Dean, Sabrina Carpenter, Sombr (7 each) | Bad Bunny, Ella Langley, Karol G, Shakira, Tyla, Zara Larsson (2 each) | Billy Idol (Lifetime Achievement Award) |
| Artist | Alex Warren, Lady Gaga (6 each) | โ | Darius Rucker (Veterans Voice Award) |
| New Categories | 12 introduced | โ | โ |