American Music Awards 2026: Everything You Need to Know Before the Premiere

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - The prestigious music awards ceremony, the 52nd American Music Awards (AMA), will be held on Monday, May 25, 2026.

Held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.

The 2026 American Music Awards will take place on Monday, May 25, 2026, Memorial Day, beginning at 8:00 PM ET or 5:00 PM PT.

The live broadcast will be available on CBS and streamed on Paramount+.

Queen Latifah's return as host after 31 years is one of the main attractions of the 2026 AMAs.

She previously co-hosted the ceremony in 1995 and will now host the event solo.

"I am so excited to return to the American Music Awards stage to host this year," the Grammy Awards winner, 56, said in a statement. "It's been an incredible year for music and there is no better place to celebrate than in Vegas."

The AMAs, founded in 1973 by Dick Clark, is known as an alternative to the Grammy Awards, with a primary focus on fan votes.

Pull up a 🪑✨All your favorite stars will be here TOMORROW! Tune in to the #AMAs LIVE at 8pm ET | 5pm PT on @CBS and @paramountplus 👀 pic.twitter.com/09UuiMPVNB

— American Music Awards (@AMAs) May 25, 2026

The 52nd American Music Awards nominations were announced on April 14, 2026.

Taylor Swift led the pack with eight nominations, including major categories like Artist of the Year and Album of the Year.

They were followed by Morgan Wallen, Olivia Dean, Sabrina Carpenter, and Sombr, who each received seven nominations.

Alex Warren and Lady Gaga also received six nominations.

Olivia Dean and Sombr made an impressive mark as first-time nominees with seven nominations, competing in key categories like New Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, and Breakthrough Album of the Year.

Other first-time nominees include Alex Warren, BigXthaPlug, KATSEYE, Leon Thomas, PinkPantheress, RAYE, Role Model, SIENNA SPIRO, and Tate McRae.

Teyana Taylor is also a first-time nominee for Best Female R&B Artist.

This year, the AMAs introduced twelve new categories.

These new categories include 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.

The presence of K-pop artists at the 2026 American Music Awards is significant, reflecting the genre's global popularity.

BTS received three nominations, including Artist of the Year, Best Male K-pop Artist, and Song of the Summer for "Swim."

KATSEYE, another K-pop group, received nominations for New Artist of the Year, Breakthrough Pop Artist, and Best Music Video for "Gnarly."

Jennie, for her collaboration with Tame Impala for the remix of "Dracula," was nominated for Song of the Summer.

Even the fictional group Huntrix from the Netflix animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" received nominations for Song of the Year, Best Pop Song, and Best Vocal Performance for "Golden."

Karol G will be awarded the International Artist Award of Excellence, Billy Idol will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, and Darius Rucker will receive the Veterans Voice Award.

The 2026 American Music Awards will feature a lineup of top-tier performers from across various music genres.

Billy Idol, also a Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, will deliver a dazzling performance.

Other performers include New Kids on the Block, The Pussycat Dolls in collaboration with Busta Rhymes, Karol G, Keith Urban, Maluma, Hootie & the Blowfish, Teyana Taylor, Riley Green, Sombr, KATSEYE (who will premiere "PINKY UP" on US television), Twenty One Pilots, and Teddy Swims. BTS is also scheduled to make a special appearance.

The presenters who will announce the winners are equally impressive, featuring some of the biggest names in the entertainment world.

Alysa Liu, Ejae and Rei Ami (also known as The Singing Voices of HUNTR/X), Hilary Duff, Paula Abdul, Melanie Martinez, Mariah the Scientist, Matt Rife, Nikki Glaser, Jason Derulo, John Legend, Gabriel Iglesias, Hannah Berner, Anthony Ramos, Lisa Rinna, Ludacris, Megan Stalter and Paul W. Downs, Russell Dickerson, GloRilla, Busta Rhymes, and Leon Thomas will also grace the AMA stage.