The 52nd annual American Music Awards are airing live on Memorial Day from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, bringing the world’s biggest stars under one roof to celebrate musical achievement and the fans.
Taking over from last year’s emcee, Jennifer Lopez, music icon Queen Latifah is returning after previously co-hosting the American Music Awards in 1995 alongside Tom Jones and Lorrie Morgan.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter ahead of the ceremony, the hip-hop legend said she’s looking forward to seeing younger artists watch veterans “who’ve been around the block a few times do it.”
“There’s a certain comfort level when you’ve been rocking shows like this for a while. When you’re an up-and-coming artist who hopes to do this for years and years to come, like maybe an Olivia Dean, you get to see someone who’s been doing this forever and [they’ll] say, “OK, that’s what I got to do,” she said.
Taylor Swift is the most-nominated artist of the night. She currently has 40 AMA wins and a chance to claim eight more trophies this evening. In October, Swift released her chart-topping studio album, The Life of a Showgirl. The singer did not win in any of her six categories at last year’s ceremony. People reported that Swift will not be in attendance tonight.
Here’s everything viewers should know about tuning into the 2026 AMAs, including the start time, streaming options, the presenters, performers, nominees and more.
What Time Do The 2026 American Music Awards Start?
The 2026 American Music Awards will begin at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on Monday, May 25, on CBS and Paramount+.
How To Watch The 2026 AMAs On Cable
The AMAs will be airing on CBS starting at 8 p.m. ET. Cord-cutters can watch the ceremony via a live TV streaming service that carries CBS, including Hulu+ Live TV, DirecTV Stream, fuboTV and YouTube TV, all of which currently offer free trials.
How To Watch The 2026 AMAs On Streaming
The American Music Awards will also stream live on Paramount+ via the live feed of your local CBS affiliation and on demand. Subscribers with the Paramount+ Premium plan will be able to watch the event live, while those with the Essential Plan can watch the awards show the day after (Tuesday, May 26).
The Paramount+ Essential plan costs $8.99 per month with limited ads, while the Paramount+ Premium plan is $13.99 per month without ads. The platform is not offering a free trial at this time.
Who Is Presenting At The 2026 AMAs?
Presenters tonight include Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu, Anthony Ramos, EJAE, Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, Hannah Berner, Hilary Duff, Jason Derulo, John Legend, Lisa Rinna, Ludacris, Mariah the Scientist, Matt Rife, Megan Stalter and Paul W. Downs, Melanie Martinez, Nikki Glaser, Paula Abdul, REI AMI, Russell Dickerson and more.
The awards show also teased a special live appearance by BTS. The global K-pop group made their comeback earlier this year by releasing their fifth studio album, ARIRANG, and announcing a worldwide tour.
Who Is Performing At The 2026 American Music Awards?
This year’s ceremony will feature a genre-spanning lineup of pop, country, Latin music, and more.
Billy Idol will take the stage as this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, while KAROL G will perform in honor of receiving the International Artist Award of Excellence. Darius Rucker will also celebrate his Veterans Voice Award, presented by USAA’s Honor Through Action, with a special performance alongside his Hootie & the Blowfish bandmates.
Additional performers throughout the evening include KATSEYE, Keith Urban, Maluma, New Kids on the Block, The Pussycat Dolls + Busta Rhymes, Riley Green, SOMBR, Teddy Swims, Teyana Taylor and Twenty One Pilots, per the AMAs.
Who Is Nominated At The 2026 AMAs?
Swift tops the nominations with eight nods across major categories like Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for The Life of a Showgirl, and Song of the Year for “The Fate of Ophelia.” Morgan Wallen, Olivia Dean, Sabrina Carpenter and SOMBR follow Swift with seven nods each.
Nominees for the biggest awards tonight include:
Artist of the Year
- Bad Bunny
- Bruno Mars
- BTS
- Harry Styles
- Justin Bieber
- Kendrick Lamar
- Lady Gaga
- Morgan Wallen
- Sabrina Carpenter
- Taylor Swift
New Artist of the Year
- Alex Warren
- Ella Langley
- KATSEYE
- Leon Thomas
- Olivia Dean
- sombr
Album of the Year
- Cardi B – AM I THE DRAMA?
- Fuerza Regida – 111xpantia
- Justin Bieber – SWAG
- Lady Gaga – Mayhem
- Morgan Wallen – I’m The Problem
- Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving
- Playboi Carti – MUSIC
- Sabrina Carpenter – Man’s Best Friend
- Tate McRae – So Close to What
- Taylor Swift – The Life of a Showgirl
Song of the Year
- Alex Warren – “Ordinary”
- Ella Langley – “Choosin’ Texas”
- HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami – “Golden”
- Kehlani – “Folded”
- Leon Thomas – “MUTT”
- Morgan Wallen – “I’m The Problem”
- Olivia Dean – “Man I Need”
- Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
- sombr – “back to friends”
- Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”
Check out the full list of nominees here.
