The 2026 American Music Awards, held on May 25 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, delivered a night of surprising upsets and shared glory. While seven acts tied for the most awards with three each—Bruno Mars, BTS, Cardi B, KATSEYE, Sabrina Carpenter, HUNTR/X, and Sombr—the biggest story was Taylor Swift’s unprecedented shutout. Swift entered the ceremony with a leading eight nominations but walked away empty-handed, marking a rare off night for the pop superstar.
Despite the disappointing outcome, Swift remains the most decorated artist in AMA history with 40 career wins. Her absence from the winner’s circle highlights the unpredictable nature of fan-voted awards and the shifting landscape of popular music. The 2026 ceremony, hosted by Queen Latifah and broadcast on CBS and Paramount+, showcased a diverse range of winners across genres.
BTS’s Second Artist of the Year Win
BTS’s victory for Artist of the Year was a major highlight, marking the second time the K-pop septet has won the category. They first achieved this in 2021. The win places BTS in elite company: only four acts have won Artist of the Year multiple times. Taylor Swift leads all artists with seven wins, while BTS is now tied with Justin Bieber and One Direction with two each. BTS also shares the record for the most wins by a group in the category with One Direction.
In addition to the top honor, BTS won Song of the Summer for “Swim” and Best Male K-Pop Artist. These three awards bring their career tally of AMAs to 14, making them the second most-awarded group or duo in AMA history, behind only Alabama, the country titans who have won 23 AMAs. BTS’s continued dominance in the fan-voted awards reflects their massive global fanbase and enduring appeal.
Taylor Swift’s Historic Night Turned Sour
Swift’s 0-for-8 performance was the most shocking narrative of the night. She was nominated in categories including Artist of the Year, Favorite Female Pop Artist, and Album of the Year for her critically acclaimed album The Tortured Poets Department. However, voters favored other nominees across the board. Swift was not alone in disappointment: Olivia Dean, who had seven nods, and Warren and Lady Gaga, each with six, also left empty-handed.
Swift’s previous AMA record remains untouched—she still holds the most wins of any artist, with 40. This year’s results do not diminish her status but do indicate a shift in fan voting patterns. The AMAs rely entirely on fan engagement, including streaming, sales, radio airplay, and tour grosses, so the outcome reflects current popularity rather than historical legacy.
Other Major Winners
Justin Bieber won Best Male Pop Artist, bringing his career AMA total to 19. This ties him with the late Kenny Rogers for the second-most wins among male artists, behind only Michael Jackson’s 24. Bieber is now the living male artist with the most AMA wins.
KATSEYE, the global girl group, won New Artist of the Year, marking the seventh consecutive win for a female act in that category. The previous six winners were all female solo artists: Camila Cabello, Billie Eilish, Doja Cat, Olivia Rodrigo, Dove Cameron, and Gracie Abrams. The last male winner was Niall Horan in 2017. KATSEYE also won Best Music Video and Breakthrough Pop Artist.
HUNTR/X’s song “Golden” continued its award season dominance, winning Song of the Year after previously winning Best Song Written for Visual Media at the Grammys and Best Original Song at the Oscars. HUNTR/X also took home Best Vocal Performance and Best Pop Song.
Sombr surprised many by winning Best Rock/Alternative Song for “Back to Friends,” Best Rock/Alternative Album for I Barely Know Her, and Breakthrough Rock/Alternative Artist. Sombr’s album reached No. 10 on the Billboard 200, while all other nominees in the album category had reached No. 1—demonstrating the power of a hit single.
Bruno Mars won Best Male R&B Artist, Best R&B Song, and Best R&B Album. Cardi B won Best Female Hip-Hop Artist, Best Hip-Hop Song, and Best Hip-Hop Album. Sabrina Carpenter won Album of the Year for Short n’ Sweet, Best Female Pop Artist, and Best Pop Album.
Karol G’s Tropicoqueta won Best Latin Album, beating Rosalía’s Lux, which is expected to be a major contender at the upcoming Grammys. Karol G also received the International Artist Award of Excellence.
Twenty One Pilots won Best Rock/Alternative Artist for the fourth time overall and second consecutive year. Only Linkin Park has won the category more times, with six wins.
A new category, Best Throwback Song, was awarded to The Black Eyed Peas for “Rock That Body,” the fifth single from their 2010 album The E.N.D. It was the most recent song among nominees, which included 4 Non Blondes’ “What’s Up” (1993) and Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” (1998).
The 52nd American Music Awards nominees were based on key fan interactions from March 21, 2025, through March 26, 2026, tracked by Billboard and Luminate. The AMAs, created by Dick Clark, continue to be the world’s largest fan-voted award show.
Source: Billboard News