Las Vegas is having quite the Memorial Day weekend. Tonight, Monday May 25, the 52nd Annual American Music Awards broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena on CBS and Paramount+ — and if fan-voting trends hold, it could be a massive night for Taylor Swift.
Swift leads the evening with eight nominations, making her the most nominated artist of the year. She is followed closely by Sombr, Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Dean with seven nominations each, and Morgan Wallen with the same. The categories have also expanded this year — twelve new ones were introduced, including Breakout Tour, Song of the Summer, and Best Vocal Performance — making this one of the most competitive AMAs in recent memory.
Queen Latifah is back in the host’s chair for the first time since 1995, meaning this is a 31-year gap between hosting gigs. She told press she is beyond excited to return, calling it an incredible year for music and saying there is no better city to celebrate in than Vegas.
The performance lineup is equally stacked. Billy Idol is set to perform for the first time at the AMAs in 22 years, and New Kids on the Block are making their return to the stage as well. Teddy Swims, Twenty One Pilots, KATSEYE, Keith Urban, Maluma and Riley Green are also confirmed performers. Special honour recipients include Karol G, who is receiving the International Artist Award of Excellence — an honour not given out since Whitney Houston received it in 2009 — and Darius Rucker, who will be recognised with the Veterans Voice Award. Billy Idol takes home the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Unlike most major awards shows, the AMAs are entirely fan-voted. Nominees were determined using Luminate and Billboard data tracking streaming, radio airplay, album sales and tour revenue from March 2025 through March 2026.
