Latest News About American Music Awards 2026

Here’s the latest on the 2026 American Music Awards (AMAs).

Core update

• The 52nd AMAs took place in Las Vegas on Memorial Day, May 25, 2026. Host: Queen Latifah. Winners and nominees were updated live during the ceremony.[2][10]

Key highlights

• Taylor Swift led nominations with eight, continuing her strong AMA presence; she’s broadly expected to be among the night’s top winners given her dominance in 2025–2026 releases.[6][2]
• Karol G was honored with the International Artist Award of Excellence, and Billy Idol received the Lifetime Achievement Award, reflecting a mix of cross-genre recognition on the show.[3][2]
• Performances featured Billy Idol in his AMA return and New Kids on the Block, among others, highlighting a blend of classic acts and contemporary stars.[4][10]

What changed this year

• The AMAs introduced 12 new categories to broaden recognition across genres and emerging artists, including Breakthrough Pop/R&B/Rap/Latin artists and Breakthrough Album/Song distinctions. This aimed to spotlight rising talent alongside established stars.[3]

Where to get the full list

• A complete, live-updated winners list is available from major entertainment outlets. For example, E! Online published a full winners list with the latest updates from the ceremony, and The Hollywood Reporter summarized the winners as the show concluded.[1][10]
• Additional background on nominations and performers was covered by Parade and Us Weekly ahead of the ceremony, outlining who was expected to perform and who led nominations.[2][4]

Extra context

• If you’re looking for specific categories (e.g., Best Pop/Rock/Latin categories) or individual winners, I can pull out exact winners and nominees for those and summarize them in a compact list or a quick comparison table.

Would you like me to compile a definitive winner list by category or pull performer-specific highlights from the night? I can also format a short table comparing top nominees and their wins.